Spiritualist
by Clockwork's Apprentice
Summary: After an experience that nearly cost him this half-life, Clockwork sends Danny and Dani (known as Ellie) to a different dimension. While this one still had ghosts, at least they were better than the ones they were used to dealing with. Now a bit older and known as a popular Spiritualist/Ghost Hunter, Danny finds himself joined with a ghost hunting team called SPR.
1. Prologue

**Author Note: With a new love for Ghost Hunt (both manga and anime) and an old (and still growing) love for Danny Phantom, seems fitting I combine them.  
~CWA**

**Title: **Spiritualist  
**Summary: **After an experience that nearly cost him this half-life, Clockwork sends Danny and Dani (known as Ellie) to a different dimension. While this one still had ghosts, at least they were better than the ones they were used to dealing with. Now a bit older and known as a popular Spiritualist/Ghost Hunter, Danny finds himself joined with a ghost hunting team called SPR.**  
Genre: **Mystery/Suspense **  
Rated: **T for mentions of death, death, mild language, and mild gore throughout the fic**  
Disclaimer: **_I do not own nor claim Ghost Hunt. I do not own nor claim Danny Phantom  
_**Notes: **Dani will be younger (about five to six) and is known as Ellie. AU in both verses.

**_This fic does include spoilers for Ghost Hunt_**

* * *

**PROLOGUE**

* * *

**Third Person**

Danny thought he could trust his parents… He was wrong. He was _very_ wrong because the first chance they had, they betrayed him. Jazz was no where to be found- he suspected that she locked in her bedroom with no hopes of escaping or maybe she didn't know about the experiments? Maybe they told her that Danny was simply missing? Sam and Tucker hadn't shown up yet. He wasn't sure if they had betrayed him as well or if they didn't know either.

It didn't matter. He was still strapped onto an operating table with anti-ghost straps with no hope of escape. The people who captured him? His parents. His very own parents were towering over him with surgical equipment and a mad scientist grin. His mother had on her surgical mask, a scalpel in her hands and an impassive expression on her face. His father stood near the table that held other sharp surgical equipment- most seemed to be a various type of knife that had a faint glow around it that hinted that they were anti-ghost weapons that were sure to cause wounds that would not heal quickly.

Danny's chest tightened and he could feel the tears streaming down his face. This was what he was scared of. It was what he was always scared of. His parents putting science above him, above everything.

"I'm your son," Danny pleaded, "Please! I'm your son!"

"You're ghost scum," Maddie spat, "You are no son of ours."

He never stopped pleading, begging, for them to realize what they were doing, to realize that he was their son, to _stop…_ Even as they cut him open, making fine cuts down his chest to his naval. They never stopped as he screamed, as he cried, as he desperately sobbed for them to stop. Even when the pain was becoming too much to bare, he still was able to find his voice to scream.

"Your son…" Danny said weakly, "…I'm your…son…"

"We don't have a son," Jack said with narrowed eyes, "Our son died. _You_ are a ghost."

With each vicious word said, Danny winced and his heart seemed to break… He wasn't their son in their eyes. He was just a ghost, a freak… _I am more than just a ghost,_ Danny thought fiercely, _I am a human too. _

* * *

Flames. That was all he saw when he managed to weakly open his eyes. He just saw the flames making their way into the lab. He tugged his wrists, trying to get free, but it was to no hope. He closed his eyes, ready to accept his fate. He was going to die. If he was meant to die today, after such a long time being tortured, then so be it. His wounds were still partially opened and the anti-ghost knives had caused a lot of damage that weren't healing. The anti-ghost restraints on the table were keeping him trapped with no hope of escaping.

He could still see the amount of blood and ectoplasm- _his_ blood and ectoplasm- on the floor in puddles and he could feel the amount of blood still on his body.

His parents were already consumed by the flames- their bodies were burning in the corner, the smell of their flesh was a change from the smell of ectoplasmic blood that he had gotten used to. It was only a matter of time before the flames reached him. He briefly wondered what would happen if he died. Would he become a full ghost? Would he ascend or descend? He closed his eyes- the heat from the flames were getting closer. His body was starting to burn… Then there was nothing. No pain. No heat. Absolutely nothing. Did the blood loss kill him before the flames could?

He opened his eyes, wincing that everything still hurt. His whole body was burning with pain, but when he looked around he saw that he was no longer in the basement. Instead he found himself in a very familiar ghostly lair. _Clockwork,_ Danny thought, _Should have known… _He collapsed onto his knees and grabbed his side as he hissed in pain. The ectoplasmic blood was still pouring out from the wounds, but he had to admit that it wasn't as bad as before. He looked down, a bit confused as he saw that he was only in trousers with bandages covering his whole torso and other multiple wounds over his body.

"Clockwork," Danny realized, _he helped me… _

"I am here," Clockwork announced as he entered the area, "I wished I was able to act sooner. The Observants had held me back… I did, however, bring someone over…"

His cloak flowed behind him in an imaginary breeze. Danny looked at him a bit confused- who did Clockwork bring with him? Sam? Tucker? Danny received his answer as a small form ran from behind Clockwork and tackled Danny.

"DANNY," a cute little voice cried out, "Danny! Danny!"

Danny winced at the pain that the hug was causing, but he didn't have the heart to push the small five year old away from him. Danielle, or better known as Ellie as it was a less confusing name for her, was hugging him tightly with no indication of letting go. He relaxed into the hug and put his arms around his 'little sister.' A wave of relief washed over him seeing her- confirming that she was indeed safe. It had been too long since he had last seen her as she had been with Frostbite in the Ghost Zone for the past year.

"Thank you," Danny whispered weakly as he looked up at Clockwork, "Thank you…"

* * *

It was two weeks before Danny had completely healed. The wounds left deep scars over his body, but they no longer caused him pain. It was in those two weeks that he learned more about himself than he thought possible. Meditation had helped him retain his sanity. Clockwork had taught him much, including how to morph his two forms together. Doing this allowed his body to heal faster and better as well as strength his ghostly abilities. The only side affect of doing this was that it changed his appearance, resembling a mix of both his forms his hair had gotten a few streaks of white and his eyes had turned a mix of blue and green. He didn't mind. In a way, the new appearance helped him overcome the painful memories associated with both forms.

He stood by the window of Clockwork's lair and watched as the green and purple swirls of the universe moved. Physically, he was healed. Mentally, he was slowly reaching there. Clockwork had informed him that his sister had died in the fire. Sam and Tucker believed him to be dead. Maybe it was better that way. Maybe if they believed him to be dead then they could live normal lives. With Vlad believing him to be dead, then he wouldn't have to worry too much about the fruitloop finding him.

He looked down at the books in his hands. The books were given to him by Clockwork, who stated something about how they would help him in the future. Clockwork told him how he was needed in another universe- a different dimension actually- one that was different from his home world and different from the Ghost Zone. _He said something about how ghosts from the Ghost Zone are reaching there? Or will reach there? It's a bit sketchy on details… But how different is it going to be? _He wasn't sure, but he suspected the books in his hands had information on the new dimension. According to Clockwork, the new dimension was similar to his world, but just how similar was it? Were there even ghosts there?

"Have you done your reading, Daniel," Clockwork asked as he appeared beside the halfa.

Danny gave his mentor a sheepish expression as he scratched at the back of his neck. The motion alone was enough to tell Clockwork the answer. Clockwork let out a sigh, expecting as much. Danny gave him a cheeky grin,

"Look at it this way, I may not have done the reading yet, but at least I got my bags, and Ellie's, packed!"

"Good," Clockwork gave a curt nod, "Then I suspect you are ready for your journey?"

"Yeah."

Danny reached a hand up and grabbed the strap of his backpack a bit tightly as if double checking to make sure it was there. The backpack held more books, all given to him by Clockwork and Ghostwriter (who was on good terms with the halfa after learning about what happened). At his feet there were several bags, some big and some were small, holding what little belongings he had (given to him by Clockwork) and Ellie's belongings as well.

The journey was necessary. He needed a change of scenery and it would be dangerous to go back to his world. Besides, like Clockwork had said- he was needed elsewhere. Taking Ellie with him was just a precaution as he didn't want anyone hurting her while he was gone and he had to admit that he did miss his clone/little sister. The little girl in question was standing beside him, looking at him questionably. She had also joined her forms together (with difficulty but she was determined to _'look just like big brother'_). Unlike Danny, her hair had stayed black while her eyes had turned the mix of blue and green.

Danny used his telekinesis to lift all the bags up, causing Ellie to giggle. She gave Clockwork a big grin and a quick hug. The ancient ghost tensed up slightly before he relaxed and hesitantly hugged the small girl back. Danny covered his laugh with his hand but he didn't miss the minor glare Clockwork gave him for laughing. Since Ellie had spent her time in the Ghost Zone under the care of both Frostbite and even Clockwork, she had grown rather attached to the elder ghosts.

"Bye-bye, Uncle," she said sweetly before she returned to Danny's side.

Danny held his palm out and Ellie took the hint. She grabbed onto his hand as Danny gave a small nod to Clockwork.

"Thank you for everything, Clockwork… I hope we'll see each other again soon."

"Sooner than you may think, Daniel," Clockwork said vaguely, "But we will meet again when the time is right… I wish you luck on your journey."

With a swish of his staff, Clockwork created a portal that would lead them to the other dimension. Danny and Ellie stood in front of it, watching how the different colors seemed to swirl endlessly. Danny gave Clockwork one last look over his shoulder and a small thankful smile before finally, he and Ellie stepped through it to begin their new lives.


	2. New Life

**Author Note: I do plan on updating once a day (anyone whose read previous fics know that I usually am pretty good about that). Please review!  
~CWA**

* * *

**CHAPTER ONE: NEW LIFE**

* * *

**Danny**

A whole year in a new dimension was all it took for me to have my new life all together. We lived in a city in Japan now. At the beginning, we lived in England for a while (with few cases) until I got tired of flying to Japan, where apparently there were more cases. Finally, I just decided to move us to Japan all together, giving me easier transportation for cases. Our apartment had two bedrooms with two bathrooms so Ellie and I had our own. Thanks to the cases I got as a Spiritualist/Ghost Hunter, I had enough money to pay not only for the apartment but for other things as well. I was honestly pretty happy with our small apartment and for our new lives in general.

Thanks to Clockwork, I had an identity here. I was Daniel James Fenton- I wanted to keep my last name not only because it was one of things I was familiar with but because I wanted to show that I was not my parents. Not that it really mattered since here there were no Fentons aside from me and Ellie. According to my fake records, Daniel James Fenton and Ellie Jasmine Fenton were orphans after a tragic fire claimed our parents. I did put my new life to use, however. Thanks to the books that Clockwork had given to me, I not only knew all about the ghosts of this dimension, but I also knew how to hone in my own abilities. Such abilities (along with the fact that I did take cases and became very good at this sort-of-stereotypical ghost hunting) were what got me to be known throughout the paranormal researching world as one of the most famous Spiritualists. Being seventeen, I was actually kind of proud to become so known at a young age.

Though I learned that multitasking with a six-year-old little sister was rather difficult. I attempted to balance the groceries along with Ellie in my arms as I tried to unlock the door. If it wasn't bright out and if there weren't so many people around I would have just used my powers. But no. I had to do things the hard, normal way. I let out a groan of frustration as I struggled.

"Do you need any help?"

Turning, I saw a girl that was a bit younger than me in a school girl's uniform. She had short brown hair and reddish-brown eyes that were looking at me in concern. Clockwork's meditation books allowed me to strengthen my sixth sense for spiritual, supernatural and paranormal things- ghosts and psychics included. Something about the girl was setting that internal alarm off- she was different. Why? Was she a ghost from the Ghost Zone in disguise? Clockwork had said that they were coming to this dimension- though I only had taken care of three so far. Or maybe she was a psychic? I gave her a small smile.

"Uhh yeah," I admitted, "Help would be much appreciated. Think you can grab the key and unlock the door for me?"

She nodded and did as instructed. She opened the door and then took a few of the bags out of my hands, cooing at Ellie as she did so. I led her inside and we set the groceries on the table and I even set Ellie on the table as well, causing her to giggle.

"Thanks for the help," I said sincerely as I stuck my hand out, "I'm Danny."

She gave me a smile and eyed my hand hesitantly. _Crap. They bow in Japan, don't they? Even after living here for a few months I keep forgetting._ Before I could take my hand back, she shook it.

"Taniyama Mai," she introduced herself, "It's a pleasure to meet you, Danny-san."

"Please, just call me Danny," I insisted and gestured toward Ellie, "And that's Ellie, my little sister."

Mai let out a laugh,

"I can see the family resemblance. Did you guys just move in here?"

She titled her head curiously with an innocent expression, causing me to laugh. She was cute. Not in a _datable_ way, but more in a 'little-sibling _aw' _ way.

"We moved here to Japan a few months ago from England," I explained, "But we're originally from America…"

She nodded and gave me a grin.

"Well, if you ever need any help, I live in the apartment across from you! I'd be happy to help you if you're having trouble with Japan's customs."

I thanked her and she gave a wave to Ellie before she left. _What a nice girl,_ I thought absently, _but something about her is off. _

* * *

It wasn't long after Mai left that I tucked Ellie into bed and sat down in the middle of the living room in a criss-cross position. The room's lights were dim, allowing me a bit more focus.

Placing my hands on my knees, I closed my eyes and focused on the rising and lowering of my chest. Merging my two forms caused a bit more side effects than I had first thought. I hardly ever breathed, my pulse being a beat a minute. Still, I focused on it. I let the breathing come naturally and slowly counted them. _One…Two…Three…_ I focused on my core- the very being of myself. The icy chill of it sent a familiar shiver up and down my spine.

In my mind, I could picture my very core. The glowing orb of ice inside my chest that was merged to my heart. I could picture it slowly beating,_ six… seven… eight… _I breathed in. I pictured the energy of my core spreading over my body and I became hyper sensitive to everything I could feel- the tips of my fingers were like sensitive little pads, the carpet felt slightly more prickly, sharp, and I could hear the scuttling of crickets outside. I breathed out, letting the hyper sensitivity leave me. The energy remained through my veins, I could feel it.

Already I was feeling more powerful. Though I refused to worry just how powerful I could become.

* * *

I felt a tug on the bottom of my shirt. Looking down, I saw my six-year-old little sister. She looked half-asleep and it was only then that I realized that it was already past midnight. Apparently, I was so absorbed in my meditation that I didn't realize I was doing it for three hours. _Opps._ Ellie rubbed at her eyes with a small fist and I picked her up with ease, cradling her to my chest.

"What are you doing up, sleepy-head? Don't you know all little warriors have to get their sleep?"

Ellie tended to favor knights and warriors over princesses- having _'Arthur's round table' _instead of a tea table. I was partially to blame as I always told her stories about knights and warriors before she went to bed. I did occasionally tell her a more fairy tale-like story, but it always got a mixed reaction. Sometimes she liked the stories and other times she didn't. Either way, she seemed to be preferred to be called a warrior rather a princess- though sometimes she liked being called a warrior princess.

"Nightmare," she whispered as she curled into my chest.

I gave a sad smile- nightmares seemed to plague the both of us. Though my nightmares dealt with real monsters and past memories. No matter what it was about, it was clear that the nightmare had scared her.

"You know what fixes a nightmare?"

She shook her head and I grinned.

"Tickles!"

She squirmed slightly in my grip, laughing as I tickled her sides. I continued to tickle her slightly as I put her back in bed. The light green covers of her blanket covered her up entirely, making only the top of her face visible. I kneeled down beside her bed and made sure she was all tucked in.

_"What if I get a nightmare again,"_ Ellie questioned, not noticing that she had switched to Ghost Speak.

Ghost Speak was the language of the dead. All ghosts shared the language and could understand it as only the dead could even speak it. Humans did not have the vocal chords for it as it was more rough and usually came out sounding like static. It could be written down as well, but I doubt any human could read it as it resembled a mix of chicken scratch and seemingly random symbols. Occasionally, I switched into the language by accident when I spoke or wrote. It lead to many failed papers in Lancer's class. Ellie, being a halfa as well, also occasionally switched into it.

"_Your big brother will protect you,"_ I swore as I placed a finger on her forehead.

She closed her eyes as she fell asleep- a result of me draining the negative energy from her. Pleased with myself, I left the room, briefly wondering when my next case would be. **  
**


	3. Little Talks

**Author Note: Thank you for all the favorites, follows, and reviews!  
~CWA**

* * *

**CHAPTER TWO: LITTLE TALKS**

* * *

**Third Person**

Danny was going to drive himself nuts if he didn't see a ghost zone ghost soon. It wasn't that he didn't see ghosts. He saw plenty of ghosts from the dimension he was currently in; he saw them a lot actually considering how many cases he got on a regular basis. Usually, clients came to him for help at least three times a week and he could, sadly, usually only offer his service one at a time to them. His schedule had gotten so crowded that he was getting disorganized. _Jazz,_ Danny thought almost wistfully, _Jazz would have known what to do. _He shook that thought out of his head- he couldn't be thinking like that. If he thought about the past in a bad light then it would just turn him into a scornful halfa like Vlad. If there was one thing he didn't want to be it was Vlad… _Or Dan,_ Danny mentally added, shivering at the memory of his alternative older self.

He focused back on the papers that were across the table in front of him. The public library gave him access to the one thing he never seemed to get at home- peace and quiet. Having a younger sister robbed him of silence. She was always at the house. Danny was working on getting a private tutor for her, but it was difficult to try to find one that he could trust should Ellie end up switching into ghost speak or let one of her other powers slip. Until he found a teacher, he was stuck with a hyper active six year old that was currently in the seat beside him, fast asleep. He loved that libraries seemed to put her asleep quicker than he ever could.

_Peace and quiet,_ Danny thought with relief, _now if I could only get this organized._ The papers were scattered everywhere and he briefly thought about doing this work at the office- he was planning on being in Japan for a long time so an office seemed necessary. His office was a simple, small building entitled _Fenton Flames _for the way he seemed to burn away negativity. The irony in the name wasn't lost in him, but the office was necessary if he wanted to be a serious ghost hunter/spiritualist. Clients were always coming to the office (he was '_the famous Fenton' _after all) and he was silently thankful that his powers allowed him to clean up quickly before they arrived. Ellie usually kept herself occupied in his private office, but that usually caused a lot of trouble. Her playing around had led to three fires and she was always messing up what papers he did have organized. He let out a groan.

It took him five minutes to figure out that there was no hope. He settled for using the pencil he brought as a play toy, balancing it on his nose and timing himself to see how long he could last. If he used any of his powers, he could have lasted days. However, he was not going to cheat. He was testing his balance and patience (well, his patience was already tested with Ellie).

"Danny," a voice questioned and Danny turned, the pencil still balanced on the bridge of his nose.

Mai was looking at him with what was best described as a _'are you serious'_ look. He gave her a cheeky grin. Over the course of two weeks, the two of them had gotten to know a bit more about each other since she was the one teaching him Japanese honorifics and about Japanese culture. Honestly, he was just thankful that he had taken Japanese as a second language in high school (due to Sam's pestering). Either way, he learned that she was an orphan who could afford an apartment due to her job (which she didn't tell him what it was exactly but he suspected it had something to do with tea since she always seemed to be carrying bags of it in and out of her apartment), she was sixteen, and she was currently a student.

Mai had learned much about Danny and she, honestly, enjoyed that he was more of an open book as opposed to her co-workers and boss. He was seventeen and an orphan, just like her. He was legally independent and guardian of his little sister, Ellie. Aside from that, she didn't know much but something told her if she asked that he would tell her. She wasn't going to abuse his trust like that.

_Besides,_ she thought, _something about him does feel off setting… What am I saying? I've been spending too much time with Naru! I'm beginning to get as paranoid as him! Still… Usually my gut is right… But my gut is also telling me that Danny is a good person… _She mused to herself slightly. _Though he does have a weird haircut with the way he shaved the sides. Not to mention how its dyed black and white… And his eyes are kind of weird too, maybe contacts? No Ellie has eyes like that too…_

"Hey Mai," Danny greeted, his voice a whisper, "Please don't wake her."

He gestured toward Ellie, who shifted slightly in her sleep. Mai nodded and took a seat beside him, a few of her own library books in her hands.

"What are you working on," she asked curiously.

"Scheduling. My job kind of demands this and I'm not exactly the best at scheduling… Maybe I should get a secretary…"

He mused to himself slightly. If Mai didn't already have a good paying part-time job, he would have no qualms about hiring her as his secretary. Mai looked at him and titled her head to the side,

"What exactly is your job, Danny, that you would need your own secretary?"

Danny gave a laugh that startled Mai. He managed to calm down before he woke up Ellie.

"Promise you won't think it's silly?"

"Promise," Mai swore.

Convinced that Mai would not laugh, Danny spoke.

"I'm actually a spiritualist and ghost hunter. I own _Fenton Flames _down the block. Done a lot of cases here and some in England and America."

Mai's eyes widened. She knew there was something about him- he was just like her! He was a ghost hunter! _Well he's not exactly like me because if he has his own business he's more like Naru. Come to think about it, Danny is a lot like all of my friends. He's kind like Monk and John, has wise eyes like Yasu, and he's Naru's age! Wow!_

"I'm in ghost hunting too," Mai blurted before she blushed.

Danny looked at her a bit surprised before he recovered himself. He gave her a knowing smirk- he knew there was something about her. Now it was pretty obvious that she must be a psychic of some kind. There was no way she was a ghost with ghost hunters. _Not likely,_ Danny thought grimly, thinking about how ghost hunters and ghosts did not mix. He gently touched his chest briefly where the scars were before he shook himself out of his memories.

"I knew there was something about you," he said easily as he ruffled her hair, "You're too weird to be a normal high school student."

"I could say the same for you," Mai huffed, "I work at the Shibuya Psychic Research."

_Shibuya Psychic Research… _Danny thought in a bit of amazement. Out of all the places she would work, he didn't expect her to be working with his competition. SPR was a famous ghost hunting team in Japan- them and _Fenton Flames_ went neck to neck when it came to getting the good cases. He often let SPR handle the cases that didn't interest him. He was careful though. He let Shibuya think that he was winning in their competition. In reality, Danny let Shibuya handle all the challenging cases that didn't interest him. They were interesting enough to Shibuya for the young man to think he was getting the good cases. Of course, Danny had only talked to Shibuya a few times, but it was pretty clear that the man thought himself superior.

"I'm wounded," Danny said dramatically, putting a hand over his heart, "You're working for the enemy!"

"What enemy? You mean Naru?"

Her nickname caught him a bit off guard. He stared at Mai a bit blankly,

"You call Kazuya Shibuya, Naru?"

"Yeah," Mai said proudly, "Naru the Narcissist!"

_Naru the Narcissist,_ Danny repeated. He stared at her for a second more before finally, he started to laugh loudly. He didn't care that Mai was desperately trying to shush him before the librarian would come over. He didn't care that he woke up Ellie… None of it mattered because Naru the Narcissist was absolutely the best nickname he had ever heard of.

* * *

_I haven't seen Danny in a while since that incident at the library,_ Mai thought, wondering just what happened to Danny. The two had exchanged cell numbers to keep in touch a bit better when he went on cases, but aside from a few e-mails and calls, she hadn't seen Danny in a full week. A part of her was getting concerned. _I hate to say it, but Danny is like a big brother. Kind of like Monk,_ Mai mused to herself as she continued to cook with a smile. _At least I have the day off- from school and from work. Naru's been working me to the bone lately, the jerk! Honestly, how can he even drink that much tea!?_

She was interrupted from her musings as there was a knock on her door. She quickly stopped what she was doing and hurried to open the door. _It can't be Naru. He usually calls and I doubt he would even knock if he did visit. I don't think the others know where I live, so who's visiting me? Someone from school maybe? _She opened the door to see Danny with Ellie sitting on his shoulders as he held a large bag. He gave a goofy grin.

"I tried calling you. It didn't work. I know this is sort notice, but I kind of have a case and was wondering if you would watch over Ellie for me? I brought over her things."

He raised the bag he was holding slightly as he looked at her hopefully. The little girl on his back gave Mai a large smile and a wave. _Well how can I say no,_ Mai thought as she looked at the little girl. She smiled at Danny.

"Sure!"

"Thank you," Danny sighed in relief as he set Ellie down on the ground, "I owe you for this!"

He quickly shoved a bag into her arms before running off. Just like that, he was gone.


	4. Run Ins

**Author Note: Thank you for all the reviews, favs, and follows!  
~CWA**

* * *

**CHAPTER THREE: RUN INS**

* * *

**Danny**

I knew that Ellie would be safe with Mai; I trusted Mai and Ellie seemed to like her. If anything, Mai was becoming almost like a little sister-_ like I need another one. _I shook my head slightly. There was no time to dwell on what Mai and Ellie may have been doing right now. I had to get to the warehouse. I was contacted by a client- one who couldn't afford my services, but I offered to do it for free. I offered no explanation for my 'generous offer' other than that I was interested in the case. Which was true. I was interested. But I was interested because it was a box warehouse and with Clockwork's statement still in my mind; a part of me wanted to believe that it was a ghost zone ghost. The fact that it the warehouse housed a lot of boxes brought only one thing to mind- the Box Ghost.

Sure enough, I entered the warehouse only to see a faint green glow around the boxes. It was definitely the Box Ghost. It had to be. As much as I wanted to be annoyed, I couldn't. He would be the first familiar ghost I had seen in a while so I was actually almost giddy. I walked peacefully though the warehouse, occasionally dodging a flying box, and it didn't take long to spot Boxy. How could I have not have seen him with the way he's floating a few feet off the ground, talking to seemingly no one?

"I am the Box Ghost," he announced loudly, "You will all fear me!"

I briefly touch the Fenton thermos I kept attached to my belt. It was the one thing I ever rebuilt that my… No… That Jack and Maddie had invented. It was useful at least. Thanks to Clockwork's meditation technique, I was able to create my own portals to the Ghost Zone which proved helpful when dumping the thermos. The Box Ghost spotted me with a curious look.

"I AM THE BOX GHOST," he repeated loudly, "WHO ARE YOU!?"'

_Huh,_ I thought a bit confused, _Shouldn't he recognize me?_ It took me a moment to realize that he really shouldn't recognize me; my hair was streaked with white, shaved on the sides, and my eyes were a mix of blue and green. Still, it was almost insulting that the one ghost I saw the most of didn't know who I was. Then again, it could be comforting- a sign that I was safe from others knowing me.

"Hey Boxy," I greet cheerfully and calmly, "Good to see you again!"

He scrunched up his face, analyzing me, before he reeled back with a look of surprise.

"Phantom!? The Halfa?! What are you doing here in my domain!? Everyone believed you were dead! Gone to both the mortals and the ghosts!"

_Everyone thinks I'm dead,_ I thought a bit surprised, _though that's a good thing, I guess. It means Vlad won't ever try to come to this dimension. It means that I'm free from worrying about other ghosts searching for me. _Though I was a bit flattered that the Box Ghost, of all ghosts, seemed a bit genuine in his feelings of relief that I was still alive. He wasn't necessarily a _bad_ ghost, just a _really misunderstood_ one.

"Eh," I shrugged, "Dead or alive, it doesn't really matter. I'm still the Halfa. Still Phantom- sort of. The real question is, do you want to just go into the thermos peacefully or are we going to fight? I'm sure the Lunch Lady will be pleased to see you again if you just get into the thermos peacefully so I can take you back to the Ghost Zone."

He pondered for a moment before lowering himself to the ground. The best way to get him to stop fighting was to mention the Lunch Lady. I suppressed a shiver, _even if it is very disgusting to think about. _He spread his arms out and closed his eyes, a signal that he was ready to get sucked into the thermos. I did so; the thermos captured him easily. However, just as I capped the thermos, my ghost sense went off again. _Another ghost, you've got to be kidding me?_

I relaxed, however, when a pair of clockwork hands appeared, turning to form a ghost portal. _It's just Clockwork._ Everything around me seemed to stop as if time itself was paused. It probably was and it was most likely that it was Clockwork's doing. The Time Master stepped out of the portal gracefully as he appeared before me, the portal closing behind him.

"Hey Clocky," I greeted cheerfully, "What's the news?"

I gave him a goofy, slightly crooked grin, as he just rolled his eyes at my cheerful attitude. He shifted from that of an older man to a child as he spoke to me.

"Daniel," he said firmly, "How goes your journey here?"

"I think you know," I spoke with a dry tone.

"Daniel," he repeated more firmly, "We have much to discuss."

"Is this really the place to talk though? It's a warehouse."

He rolled his eyes at me again, but I just sat criss-cross, floating a few feet off the ground. I rested my elbows on my knees as I put my hands together for a place to rest my chin. Clockwork shifted from a child to that of a young adult.

"Much as happened since you left," he spoke softly, "You are presumed dead by everyone, so you should have no fear of anyone searching for you. Vladimir had covered up your torture rather well, stating to everyone that you had just ran away, only to return shortly before the fire. As far as anyone knows, the fire was caused by a gas leak that killed not only you, but your parents and sister as well. Samantha and Tucker mourn for the loss of their best friend, believing what everyone was saying to be true."

My heart clenched slightly as I gulped thickly. _Sam, Tucker,_ I thought desperately. _This can't get much worse…_ Clockwork still had news though, apparently, as he continued speaking.

"Samantha had not left her room for weeks and Tucker had broken off contact with not only her, but everyone else. Tragically, Sam's parents had passed from a car accident and shortly after her grandmother died from a heart attack. Tucker Foley's parents had moved them all to a new town states away, where he now lives a new life with new friends, leaving Sam all alone…"

My hands shook slightly at that thought. _Sam… Sam's family is dead, she has no one else… She doesn't have anyone… _Tears bristled at my eyes and I quickly wiped them away with my hand. Clockwork put a hand on my shoulder in a comforting way with a slightly sympathetic look.

"Do not worry. Samantha will be fine. Everything will be as it should be shortly…"


	5. Babysitting

**Author Note: If you can please go to _Spawn of Nerdom's_ profile and take her poll? She's at a tie right now and is very anxious as to what fic she should do next (she does mostly Marvel-related fics).  
~CWA**

* * *

**CHAPTER FOUR: BABYSITTING**

* * *

**Third Person**

It was about two hours after Danny had left that Mai was convinced that he really had no case and was just trying to get some peace and quiet from Ellie. In those two hours, the small girl had managed to wear Mai out to the bones; they played board games, played hide and go seek, played tag, watched the first five minutes of several different kid shows and movies. _And now here I am,_ Mai thought tiredly as she plopped down on her small couch, _playing dress up with a cute little girl because she demanded that she needed a damsel in distress. It's so hard to argue with her… I hope Danny is enjoying his time off from her. No wonder he always has bags under his eyes, this is really tiring…_

Mai wore a tutu over her dress, curtsey of the bag that Danny had dropped off with Ellie. Multiple bows and hair clips were in her hair, pulling it in odd directions. She slouched into the couch with a sigh as she looked over at Ellie. The six-year-old was conked out beside Mai, her body sprawled across the couch, taking up almost half of it, a bit of drool coming out of the corner of her mouth. Mai let out a sigh of relief at the break. They had been playing _make believe_ for the past thirty minutes. Ellie had searched through the bag Danny had brought over until she had found a sword and a shield as she proclaimed herself a knight, which led to Ellie proclaiming Mai as the princess in need of safety.

Mai looked around her apartment. For the most part, it was still in one piece, but most of her pillows were built up to make a temporary fort. There was a large stuffed dragon, which also came from the seemingly-never-ending-bag, sat on top of the tower, watching Mai. She shivered slightly, _I wonder how Danny is able to fit so much into that bag, it's like magic! _She giggled to herself before there was a sudden ringing noise; it was her phone. She quickly jumped up in a panic and hurriedly answered it, barely even sparing enough time to glance at the caller ID that told her it was Naru. She glanced at Ellie, seeing that the girl was stirring but thankfully not awakened.

"Naru," Mai hissed into the phone.

_"Hello Mai,"_ Naru greeted, his voice in a normal slightly monotone voice.

"This really isn't a good time, Naru," she snapped quietly, "I'm babysitting."

_"…You… You're babysitting?"_

_I think that's the first time I've heard him almost speechless,_ Mai thought dryly. Though it really shouldn't be that much of a shock; she was smarter than Naru made her out to be and frankly, she was just surprised that he didn't insult her intelligence yet.

_"I'm surprised you're babysitting with someone with the same IQ level as you,"_ Naru's voice showed a bit of hidden amusement and she could almost _hear_ his smirk.

Mai felt her face heat up as she clenched her fists, trying to shout quietly into the phone.

"I am not stupid, Naru," she snapped harshly, "She's a really good kid too! She's just… tiring…"

She glanced toward the sleeping child and let out a sigh. Naru didn't answer for a minute before he finally spoke.

_"I see. Don't do anything stupid and don't kill her. Goodbye."_

He hung up without waiting for her reply and she clenched her fists. _Oh that Naru! He can't just call me whenever he wants! I have a life outside of SPR! _She huffed to herself slightly before putting down the phone. Ellie stirred in her sleep before sitting up with a yawn. Mai felt herself pale, _oh no, she's up… Curse you Naru…_

* * *

The seventeen-year-old boy was known by a few different names, but for now he was Kazuya Shibuya. Though thanks to Mai, everyone in SPR had taken the liberty of calling him Naru, short for Naru the Narcissist. He sighed deeply as he hung up the phone. Lin, a man in his twenties who served as a bodyguard and assistant, looked up from his work briefly in a curious manner. _Interesting,_ he thought as he got back to typing on his laptop, _not many can ruffle his feathers so easily… _He almost smirked in amusement, but he quickly contained his emotions when Naru looked over with a mild glare.

Naru turned away from Lin to frown to himself slightly. He could already feel a headache coming on, though it put him in a good mood knowing that Mai was not only okay, but _babysitting_ of all things. _She does well with children,_ he mused to himself, but he would never admit that to Mai. He sighed again and straightened the papers on his desk. Despite being so young, he accomplished much such as being a very powerful psychic and being in charge of Shibuya Paranormal Research (SPR). _Though Fenton Flames is quickly gaining more popularity, _Naru thought with a small scowl.

The rival paranormal company, _Fenton Flames,_ posed a bit of a problem as its leader was the very popular and respected seventeen-year-old Daniel James Fenton. He never bothered researching too much on the man himself, but Naru did read Daniel's books about the paranormal along with watch clips of his speeches and lectures. Like Naru, Daniel appeared to be (a rather unorthodox) psychic and ghost hunter. _And he's so popular that he is stealing business… The cases I get seem to be leftovers that he dismisses,_ Naru thought a bit annoyed. _One day, I will meet him personally and find out just why he treats me inferior. _

He heard the door to the office slam open and he desperately hoped it wasn't who he thought it be. Luck was not on his side as Lin turned to Naru,

"It appears they have arrived, Naru…"

"Yes, it seems so…"

_They_ opened the doors, a bit rudely, with cheerful grins. Houshou Takigawa, a man in his twenties better known as Monk for his position as a monk, gave a cheerful greeting as he entered the room dressed in his casual clothes, his long golden hair tied back revealing the piercings. He was quickly followed by John Brown (a young, nineteen-year-old Catholic priest) and Ayako (a shrine priestess in her twenties who seemed a bit more hesitant and annoyed).

"What are you doing here," Naru demanded, his voice laced with a bit of irritation.

"We just came to see you," Monk said cheerfully, "We all thought it would be a good idea for all of us to go somewhere that wasn't for a case!"

"Unfortunately," John chimed in, "Yasuhara and Masako weren't able to join us, but we were hoping you, Lin, and Mai would!"

The young Australian priest gave a cheerful, but sheepish, grin as he scratched at the back of his neck. Ayako looked around curiously,

"Where is the girl anyway? I hope you haven't killed her from all the tea you have her make."

Naru gave a slightly annoyed sigh as he stood up and walked toward the group. Lin shut his laptop and did nothing to hide the very irritated eye tick that was forming.

"Mai isn't here," Naru informed them, "It is her day off and apparently, she is baby sitting."

"Baby sitting," John questioned, "I didn't know Mai baby sat?"

"It's not much of a surprise really," Monk mused, "She is pretty good with kids."

He got a thoughtful look on his face and John thought to himself as well. Ayako rolled her eyes at their musings; Mai was a sixteen-year-old girl, it was reasonable to assume she did something as simple as baby sat in her extra time for extra money. _Honestly, men, they're so oblivious,_ Ayako though with a huff.

"Well where does she live," Ayako asked bluntly, "We can go pay her a visit and see the kid she's stuck with. Who knows, maybe she needs help?"

"I never thought I'd say this," Monk chuckled slightly, "But Ayako is right. Mai may need some help and it would be nice to see the kid. We could even ask her if she wants to go somewhere after she's done babysitting…"

Ayako was quick to snap at Monk for hinting that she was wrong at all the time, which led the two to arguing in the background like an old married couple as John looked at them slightly amused.

* * *

Despite Ayako and Monk's bickering, they were able to Mai's address from Naru, who refused to join them on their 'childish visit.' So there the three of them stood outside Mai's apartment, knocking on the door politely. Ayako and Monk, thankfully, had stopped their bickering as Mai opened the door. Mai stood there with a tired expression, her hair sticking up in odd directions with multiple random hair clips and bows, makeup smeared across her lips, and a rainbow tutu around her waist. Monk did nothing to hide his laughter as John covered his chuckles with his hand. Ayako looked at her amused and covered her mouth with her hand.

"Looks like someone is having fun," Monk said through his laughter, "I would ruffle your hair, but I don't want to mess up it up."

Mai scowled momentarily before she laughed, which set Monk and John into another fit of laughter.

"What are you guys doing here," Mai asked as she wiped a tear from her eye.

Monk straightened himself up as both and the others gave Mai a grin.

"We heard you were babysitting," Monk announced cheerfully, "We wanted to make sure you could handle it!"

Mai's eyes widened before she got an idea._ They… They can maybe wear her out…_ She got a hopeful look in her eyes before she all but pulled the three of them into her apartment. Ayako noticed the nice little touches here and there- the little knickknacks, pictures, good color taste…_ Pretty homey,_ Ayako noticed, _But very messy…_ She looked at the various children's toys that were scattered across the floor with distain. The three adults (well barely an adult in John's case) carefully maneuvered themselves between the toys, careful to not stop on any of them, to enter the apartment fully as Mai shut the door behind them. John was quick to take a seat on the couch, Ayako joining him. However, before Monk could take a seat, he was attacked by a young girl.

The girl was maybe about six years old with messy long black hair and wore a plastic plate armor over her chest as she waved her sword at Monk in a 'threatening' manner. Her eyes, which were narrowed in determination, swirled with a mix of blue and green in an interestingly beautiful way.

"Halt," she said sternly, but with her cute voice it was hard to take her seriously, "You can not take the princess! For I am her mighty knight!"

John and Ayako had similar reactions of _'aw'_ while Monk put his hands up in mock surrender. He knelt down slowly and carefully with his hands behind his head.

"I mean you no harm, mighty knight," he said in a friendly, cheerful tone, "And I do not wish to hurt your pretty princess."

He briefly glanced at Mai, who was rolling her eyes at the event but showed obvious amusement. The girl looked at him carefully, putting her fake sword to his chest with a stern expression. Whatever test it was, Monk had apparently passed as the girl gave a nod of approval and removed her sword from his chest.

"You may visit with the princess," she said sweetly as her tough attitude disappeared to be replaced with a cheerful preppy six-year-old.

She grinned and Monk laughed as he stood up. Her eyes got wide as she looked at him.

"You're big… You can be the dragon," she announced as she went over the temporary fort.

She looked at the stuffed dragon with a thoughtful expression before chucking it off to the side. She ran back over and grabbed Monk by the wrist to drag him to the fort. As she told Monk what to do and how to act, _'teaching him to be a real dragon'_ as she had said, the others gathered on the couch. Mai plopped down beside Ayako.

"She's been here for about three hours… She's a handful."

"I can imagine," Ayako agreed as she glanced over to the girl, "Who is she anyway?"

"I have a neighbor, Danny," Mai explained, "He's a real good guy, but he had a job to do at the last minute and needed someone to look after his little sister. Her name's Ellie."

"Ellie," Monk repeated as he smiled down at the girl, "What a pretty name!"

"You never told me your names," she accused, insulted that they knew her name first, "That's rude!"

Mai gave an uneasy laugh as she called the girl over. The girl obeyed and came right to Mai's side. Mai pointed to each of them as she stated their names,

"Ellie these are my friends. That's Monk, John and Ayako…"

The girl nodded and repeated the names to herself, struggling a bit with Ayako, but smiling proudly when she could say all of them properly. Monk praised her for the feat, which caused the girl to get back to business.

"Dragons aren't nice to the knights," she announced stubbornly.

"Oh, I'm sorry, mighty knight," he said a bit nervously as he knelt down.

"Dragons don't say sorry either!"

* * *

By the time Danny had finally shown back up at Mai's apartment, her friends/co-workers had already left. Mai was thankful for that, not because she didn't want to introduce Danny to them but because she didn't want Danny thinking that she was incapable of babysitting Ellie by herself. She had let Danny in with a smile, thankful that he was finally back to take the hyper child with him. He had looked at her with a funny expression as he took in the smeared makeup, hairclips, and tutu. He let out a booming laugh,

"I take it you had some fun with her! I'm just glad that I'm not the one in the tutu for once…"

_Danny in a tutu,_ Mai thought, _now there's an image… He must really love his little sister if he usually dresses up like this to please her. That's kind of sweet. _Mai shut the door behind him as he walked into her apartment. He looked around with an amused glance; he saw the toys, the temporary fort, the stuffed animals. Finally, he spotted Ellie. The six-year-old was snoring on Mai's couch, a bit of drool forming at her mouth as her body was sprawled across the entire piece of furniture. One of her arms was off the couch, dangling to the floor, with a plastic shield attached to it while the other arm was draped across her chest holding the fake sword. Danny gave a fond smile at the sight of his little sister before he turned to Mai.

"Just let me gather all of her things real quick," he whispered, "I'm sorry she caused such a mess… But thank you for looking after her."

"It's not a problem," Mai waved her hand dismissively, "She was… energetic, but fun…"

She gave him a weak smile. Thankfully Danny didn't seem to detect how worn out Mai was from everything as he gave her a cheerful smile before he started to gather all of the loose toys, stuffed animals, and everything else to put back into the bag. He even helped Mai take out the hairclips and bows so he could put them into the bag and she gave him back the tutu; he made a mental note to wash all of the hairclips, bows, and the tutu later. Finally, he put the bag over his shoulder and went over to the couch. He knelt down beside the sleeping girl and gently, very carefully, he picked her up into his arms. Ellie didn't wake up as she curled into his chest. He only had to use one arm to hold her in place as he stood back up.

"Thanks again, Mai," he said gratefully, "I know she can be a handful sometimes, but this really meant a lot…"

He used his free hand to dig into his pocket, pulling out his wallet. He carefully opened it and was about to pull out some yen, but Mai stopped him.

"Oh no, Danny, you don't have to pay me," she quickly stated, "It was really no trouble!"

"I insist," Danny said firmly, "Ellie isn't easy to handle sometimes… Here."

He handed over some yen, barely taking the time to count the money, to Mai, who accepted it hesitantly. She bowed to him with a slightly uneasy, but thankful, smile. He gave her a nod, put the wallet back into his pocket, and then made his way out of the apartment and back into his. Mai watched him leave with a shake of her head. _He's a cool guy…_


	6. Nightmarish Screams

**Author Note: Thank you for all the follows and favorites! Please review!  
~CWA**

* * *

**CHAPTER FIVE: NIGHTMARISH SCREAMS**

* * *

**Third Person**

That night, Danny tossed and turned as he tried to get some sleep. After having that discussion with Clockwork, images of Sam had flooded his mind. He wondered if she was okay, if she was handling everything well, and he wondered if she ever will know the truth about what happened to him. He wanted nothing more than to go back to his home dimension and see her just to let her know that she was not alone, that he was there for her. But alas, it could not be. Danny could never return to that dimension. If he did, who knew what awaited him? _Guys in White? Vlad? What if they hurt Ellie? _He couldn't let that happen. _Be strong Sam,_ he silently pleaded, _be strong for me…_

Danny gave up trying to sleep and wandered around the apartment. He went into Ellie's room and chuckled slightly when he saw that, due to her ghost powers, she was floating a good few inches in the air off her bed. Yet, she was still fast asleep and snoring, a stuffed bed sheet ghost plushy in her arms. With a fond smile, Danny entered the room and grabbed one of the small soft blankets that had fell off the bed. She had about three to four blankets so he doubted she would use or need this one. He channeled some of his ectoenergy into the blanket, causing it glow green very faintly, but it would make it ghost proof. He used it to tie a tight knot to her bedpost and then very gently and carefully, Danny tied the knot to her ankle. _There, now she won't float through the ceiling. I don't want a repeat of that incident. It took me forever to find her and even longer to get her to stop crying. _The knot was loose enough that it wouldn't come undone, but should she awaken, Ellie should be able to undo the knot quickly and easily.

As soon as Ellie was secure, Danny headed back to his room and plopped down on his bed. It took just under an hour, but eventually he had fallen into a nightmarish sleep.

* * *

_He tried to tug on the restraints around his wrists, but it was no use. The anti-ghost cuffs kept him tightly contained against the operating table. It didn't matter how much or how long he tried to escape. There was no point. He collapsed weakly against the table with a defeated expression. His previous mother, Madeline Fenton, stood over him with a predatory grin as Jack stood in the background putting vials of his blood into different containers. _

_"This will hurt," Maddie warned, but her voice held no sympathy and without another warning, she jammed a long needle into his arm._

_He arched his back as he bit back a cry, but the pain only got worse as she pushed the strange liquid into his blood stream. Almost instantly, everything burned. His skin, his organs, his very blood, all of it was burning… Burning… He let out a painful cry as he convulsed and struggled. Maddie held him down with one arm as she took the needle out, all of its containments now in his body. It was as if there was an inner fire inside of him trying to burn its way through his body into the world around him. _

_Tears bristled at his eyes as he begged for them to stop, but he didn't have the strength to speak. The burning was torture, but it wasn't as bad as the electrocutions that left scars on his arms and irritated the scar on his palm where he had pressed the button. The burning, however, wasn't as bad as the drowning. The burning continued as he screamed loudly, arching his back and tugging on the cuffs. His throat burned and his mouth was dry, yet finally was able to find his voice._

* * *

Mai woke up to the sound of screaming. It was faintly heard, but it was loud enough to wake her up from sleeping. She shot up with her eyes wide. For a brief moment, she thought maybe it was a vision, a ghost trying to contact her, but she was in reality. It wasn't a dream. She quickly got up from bed and slipped on some sleepers and a robe over her pajamas, struggling to tie it as she rushed out of her apartment toward the sound of screaming. As she neared Danny's apartment, the screaming got louder. _He's the one screaming, _Mai realized with wide eyes, _why is he screaming? What's wrong?_ She pounded on the door with the side of her fist, her heart pounding in her chest. _I've seen a lot of ghosts, please don't let him become the next one I see…_ She almost sighed in relief when the door opened, but it wasn't Danny who stood at the door.

Ellie looked up at Mai with big tearful eyes and a sniffle. Mai's heart broke seeing the small girl cry and she stepped into the apartment, being sure to close and lock the door behind her. The screaming was still continuing, louder than ever, and it pierced Mai's ears like knives. It was a scream of someone dying, someone in pain. She could feel the tears bristling at her own eyes, but she was able to kneel down in front of the small girl in front of her. Ellie had her hands pressed to her ears tightly as if she could block out the screaming.

"Ellie," Mai said loudly to be heard over the screaming, "Where's Danny?"

"He has a nightmare," Ellie practically screamed, her small voice barely being heard.

The small six-year-old grabbed Mai's hand and led her through the apartment to Danny's room. Mai flicked on the light so she would be able to see and briefly looked around the room. Even with the light on, it was still very dark. Nearly everything he owned (blankets, lamps, dressers) came in few colors- black and light green. Even the dark wooden dresser was decorated with a light green cloth on top of it and the curtains were pitch black. His black bookshelf was almost overflowing with books, brief glances told her it was mostly paranormal-related books, and even his computer desk had a few paranormal or space books stacked up on it. She was amazed at the stars and other space-related objects in the room, including the telescope that was pointed out the window. _Focus Mai,_ she scolded herself, _Focus!_

She turned her attention to the wriggling person on the bed. Danny was in his pajamas, but thankfully they covered everything as it was sweats and a long-sleeved shirt. He was tossing and turning in his sleep, screaming at the top of his lungs, sweat forming on his eyebrow. Ellie let out a small whimper seeing him like that. Mai rushed to his side and gently put her hand on his arm.

"Danny," she said firmly, "Danny! You need to wake up!"

Danny stopped screaming, but it was clear he was still having the nightmare. His breathing was rigid as he tossed and turned. Mai kept her firm grip on his arm as she tried to shake him awake.

"Danny! Danny!"

Finally, the boy shot up, eyes wide, coated in a thin layer of sweat, his fists clenching the sheets. Mai let go of his arm and backed away a bit to give him some room. _His eyes,_ she thought, _I have never seen eyes so terrified, so scared for their life… What was he dreaming about? Was it a normal nightmare? Maybe a bad memory? It would have to bad because I have seen the ghosts of people who have died… Not even they have eyes that are just filled with absolute terror. _

It took Danny a moment to realize that not only was he awake and back to reality, but that Mai was kneeling down beside his bed with a concerned, almost scared expression on her face. He took a deep calming breath and pried his hands off the sheets. He gave Mai a weak smile,

"H-Hey Mai…"

"Danny," Mai greeted back, but her voice was soft and cracked slightly, "Danny are you okay? Does this happen often?"

Danny shifted on the bed slightly. Ellie, who was standing a bit behind Mai, ran and jumped into Danny's arms. He let out a cheer and cradled her to his chest.

"Hey my lil' warrior! I hope I didn't scare you!"

"Warriors don't get scared," Ellie said proudly, puffing out her chest dramatically.

Danny cradled her with one arm and used his free hand to ruffle her hair.

"Sure they don't…"

"Danny," Mai repeated, getting his attention back.

Danny gave her a sheepish expression and he could feel the blush make its way across his face. He then sighed and gently put Ellie on the ground as he stood up. Mai stood as well and the two started to head toward the kitchen. She took a seat at the table as Ellie went into the living room to play with her toys. Danny didn't say a word as he fixed two cups of warming tea. He handed one of the cups to Mai and sat down across from her. He took a sip and then spoke.

"I'm sorry I woke you up."

"I don't care about that," Mai snapped, "I just want to make sure you're okay! Does this happen often? Why were you were screaming like that? I thought something bad was happening…"

"It's nothing," Danny gulped thickly, "I… It's really nothing, just some nightmares… I usually meditate to keep them away, but I haven't meditated tonight and… It won't happen again."

"But are you okay," Mai repeated as she sipped at the tea.

"I'm fine," Danny lied through his teeth, "Really…"

_Somehow I don't really believe that,_ Mai thought as she looked down into the tea cup, _there's something off about you Danny… And if you're not hurting anyone, I guess it's none of my business, but I'd really like it if you'd talk to me, it can't be healthy hunting ghosts, dealing with people who have died, without anyone to talk to about it… _

"Well, if you ever need to talk, I'm here," Mai offered, causing Danny to give her a small thankful smile.

"Thanks, Mai… I really appreciate that…"


	7. Bloodstained Labyrinth Part I

**Author Note: **

**I hope this doesn't get confusing when I do chapters from episodes because I am writing the format a bit different (_ex: April Day one, no point of view established though it is in third person, and a beginning scene). _The next few chapters are from a case/episodes from the show (split into parts). **

**To Guest Review: I hope this answers your question about when this story is taking place (previous chapters happened before _Bloodstained Labyrinth_ but after the case at Yasu's school). There's going to be two cases from the anime in this fic (_Bloodstained Labyrinth _and _The Cursed House_). I don't think I'll be doing much that's mentioned in the manga (including cases) because it's been so longs since I've read it.  
**

**~CWA**

* * *

**CHAPTER SIX: BLOODSTAINED LABYRINTH PART I**

* * *

_A young woman struggled as two men in lab coats dragged her off by the arms. She whimpered, pleaded, and begged for them to stop, but it was no use as they dragged her into a room where an operation table sat with the straps undone, ready for it's next victim. Off to the side sat a bathtub, bloodied and rusted with age. They strapped her onto the table and she saw nothing but the bright light of the bulbs above her and the hands of the person about to harm her as they put on their gloves. She let out one deadly scream as they cut into her and cut away at her body. They cared not for the blood that splattered everywhere on them and on the walls. Like that, her life was ended. Her blood drained from her body. _

_"I don't want to die," an old croaky voice echoed through the room. _

* * *

Mai sat on the couch politely with her hands folded neatly in her lap. In the main room of the SPR building, sat the whole ghost hunting group for a meeting. Everyone was sitting down on the couches aside from Naru, who sat in a chair separate from the group, and Lin, who preferred standing. _The whole group's here,_ Mai thought as she looked over to the two she hadn't seen in a while, Masako and Yasuhara. Masako was a young seventeen-year-old TV psychic who preferred traditional kimonos to standard casual clothing with her black hair cut short at the ears. By her sat another seventeen-year-old, Yasuhara, who was a student a high school that had joined them on a previous case and became a permanent part of the group. Naru had everyone's attention.

"I've accepted a new contract," Naru spoke clearly, "It's a very high profile case. The client suggests we exercise the utmost confidentiality, if the media got involved then this would no doubt blow into a massive story. I think the safest bet would be if we all worked on this together."

_Oh yeah,_ Mai thought, _I sometimes forget that, technically, Monk, John, Ayako and even Masako aren't really a part of the SPR. _Masako spoke up quietly,

"Excuse me, but did you speak with a Mr. Ohashi-san?"

"Did you get a call from him too," Naru questioned, though his voice had no surprise.

"Yes."

Ayako spoke up then, her voice ringing loudly,

"So tell us, who are you talking about?"

Naru didn't look at Ayako. Instead, he started to shuffle through a thick black binder in his lap, searching through the papers as he spoke.

"Mr. Ohashi-san is just a representative. The actual client would be…"

He let his sentence dangle in the air as he pulled out what he was looking for. He placed the newspaper clipping on the table, revealing a picture of a man with a headline above it in clear words. No name had to be given as everyone, aside from Masako, Naru and Lin, let out a gasp of surprise.

"Are you kidding," Ayako breathed.

"Are you serious," Mai questioned, "Isn't he the former prime minister?"

"Wow," Monk mused, "That would be a major story for the press…"

"Which is why we should avoid attention as much as possible," Naru nearly snapped, "And a good way to start is to ask Yasuhara to stand in for me."

Naru turned to the guy in question. Yasuhara looked at him stunned,

"Uhh what are you talking about?"

"So that's what why you invited him here," Mai realized, "I thought it was so we could celebrate him passing all of his exams."

Yasuhara gave a sheepish grin as everyone turned their attention to him.

"Oh man, you got into college," Monk exclaimed and the rest of the group vocalized their praises as well.

"Yeah, of course," Yasuhara confirmed as he rubbed the back of his neck nervously.

John, Masako, Ayako and Monk cheered as they clapped while Mai even threw her hands into the air. Naru tried not to let his irritation show, focusing on the open binder. As he shut it harshly, the group quickly stopped and turned back to him.

"So do you think you'll be willing to stand in and take my place, Yasuhara," Naru asked firmly.

"Oh yeah, sure," Yasuhara smiled, "You guys are great. I'd be more than willing to help out. Plus I think I owe you one. I mean, if it weren't for you, I'm pretty sure that case at my school would never even be solved."

"Wait a second," Monk chimed in, "I understand why you'd steer clear of the media, Naru, but do you really think this calls for a body double?"

"The client has apparently been calling in a number of other psychics, including some shady bottom feeders," Naru informed everyone, "I'm sure it's no surprise when I have no interest in associating with those types."

Monk gave a sly grin toward Naru as he leaned forward,

"So you're just pushing it all onto Yasu because you don't want to do it?"

Naru didn't show any annoyance or anger as he continued to look at Monk with an impassive expression.

"If you have a problem, no one is forcing you to stay here."

The two stared each down as Mai looked on uncomfortably. She searched for words, anything, to get them to stop being so rude to each other. However, before she could say anything, the door burst open. A tall woman, somewhere in her twenties, with shoulder length red-brown hair came storming in, her heels clicking as she went.

"GEEZ! You should talk to me before you go running at the mouth!"

Mai stood up and turned to face the woman, trying not to let her nerves show through.

"Excuse me, Miss, are you looking for someone?"

The woman ignored Mai and stormed past her, heading straight for Naru. Naru didn't seem concerned as the woman towered over him with a stern expression.

"Here's a shocker," she stated, "When you're asking someone for favors, there actually is an appropriate way to do it. I've said this before, but _no_, you never learn do you!?"

Lin didn't seem concerned, but the others watched the scene unfold with a blank expression, unsure as to who the woman was or what was going on. _No one talks to Naru like that,_ Mai thought as did the others. _Who is she? _The woman turned to the group with a friendly smile and a bow,

"Please excuse him, this little boy is still learning his manners."

Mai gaped at the woman with her mouth open, her eyes wide in shock. _This… This little boy!? _Naru still seemed indifferent, if but a little annoyed.

"Madoka," Naru spoke firmly, "Would you mind having a seat and trying to be quiet? We're trying to work here."

"And that's why communication is important," Madoka chimed with a big grin on her face.

The rest of the group still looked at her in disbelief and shock, gossiping among themselves.

"Isn't she something," Monk whispered to the rest of the group.

"Who is she again," Ayako questioned, but Madoka overheard.

Madoka turned to the group again with a big smile.

"Of course, my name is Mori Madoka. Hello!"

"Ummm hi," Mai said hesitantly, "How do you know Naru?"

"Well I guess you could say I'm his teacher. I'm the one who taught Naru everything he knows about ghost hunting. To be completely honest, I'm the one who asked Naru to take on this case. I know it's weird, but I'm really hoping you'll work with us…"

That statement got a reaction from everyone as they openly gaped at the woman.

* * *

Danny hung up the phone with a small frown. He currently sat in _Fenton Flames, _up in his office, his paperwork spread out in front of him and a messily written schedule was off to the side. Thankfully, his desk was rather large giving him enough room for all of his papers, though whatever didn't fit on the top of the desk was lazily thrown into a desk drawer. It was a miracle he was able to get cases in time given how unorganized he was.

Ellie was occupying herself in the middle of his private office as she spun around in her pretty princess dress, a plastic sword in her hand, spewing something about _'how the great invisible dragon shall not defeat the princess knight.' _Her ghost powers, though she wasn't doing it on purpose, caused her to float as she played. Danny rolled his eyes at her antics, but had an amused smile on his face. _It won't be too long until I have to start really training her… But that has to wait._ For now, he had a case, a very important case that dealt with a former prime minister… _I wonder if Mai got the same case over at SPR, now that would be interesting…_

"Ellie," Danny called, causing the girl to look over at him, "Come on, I have to take you to the daycare…"

Ellie's eyes lit up in excitement. Danny laughed fondly as he got up from his desk and started to head toward the door, swooping up Ellie as he went.

"Come on, little princess warrior, we got to go…"


	8. Bloodstained Labyrinth Part II

**Author Note:**

**To Guest Review: *Spoiler Alert* Naru's twin arc is going to be mentioned but not really explored? Danny's unaware that Mai sees 'Naru' in her dreams, but he does connect the dots as to Naru's real identity (suspicions are set during this case and after it, he does research and that's when it clicks). **

**To QueenofHearts7378: Thank you for the reviews! Thank you, I'm flattered and I hope your love for this fic continues to grow! _Bloodstained Labyrinth_ was one of my favorite episodes too.**

**To everyone else, thank you for all the favorites, reviews and follows!  
~CWA**

* * *

**CHAPTER SEVEN: BLOODSTAIN LABYRINTH PART II**

* * *

**April: Day One **

A large beautiful garden and court surrounded the large mansion. Inside said mansion was where some of the greatest spiritualists, ghost hunters, and psychics gathered in its large ball room. The Shibuya Paranormal Research was one of these groups and just had entered through the front doors.

Monk was trying hard to contain his excitement. Who wouldn't be excited to be in the same room as so many popular professionals, even if some were hoaxes? Ayako rolled her eyes at his excitement as John gave an amused chuckle. Mai, however, was too busy looking around the place in awe. _It's just so big and beautiful,_ she thought. Masako, a young seventeen-year-old psychic from a popular TV show, did her best to not show the excitement she felt. In truth, the place felt very dark and eerie to her. Yasuhara, a seventeen-year-old high school student who had joined their team a while back ago, was grinning from ear to ear in his usual act. Like always, Naru and Lin led the group with Yasuhara beside them and Masako following close behind, followed by the rest of them.

It didn't take long before they greeted by an older gentleman in a nice suit. He bowed to them formally.

"Hello, I am Ohashi. I have been given full authority to handle this matter on behalf of the client. If you have any questions or are needing to speak with him, I will be your direct contact. May I ask who is in charge here?"

He glanced among the group, his eyes lingering on the obvious choices- Lin and Monk, but neither of them stepped forward. Yasuhara raised his hand with a cheery grin,

"Yes of course, that would be me, sir. My name is Kazuya Shibuya."

Ohashi wasn't phased as he gave a friendly smile.

"So it seems the rumors of your age were in fact true, Mr. Shibuya. Who have you brought with you today?"

He glanced to the others. Yasuhara looked back as well, pointing out John, Ayako and Monk, who bowed in greeting.

"They are all accomplished Spiritualists and friends of mine. They have graciously offered their expertise on this case."

He turned to Lin, Naru and Mai, who bowed in greeting as Yasuhara introduced them.

"And over here we have my assistants…"

Naru stepped forward, the same blank look on his face,

"Naru Kazou sir."

Mai let out an exasperated sigh. _This is ridiculous… _

* * *

Mr. Ohashi still lead the SPR group through the halls of the mansion. Everything was quiet except for the clicking of Ayako's heels as she walked. Naru, like usual, had a blank expression on his face as did Lin and Yasuhara. The rest of the group, however, was obvious in their observations as they looked around in confusion as they walked. The mansion itself was built similar to the Winchester mansion in America; it had dead ends, stairs that led to nowhere, stairs coming off the walls only to end before they hit the floor. It was a labyrinth- a never-ending maze. Mai glanced at one of the staircases that was in the hall. It started at the ceiling and only came half-way down. There were oddly placed shelves as well with flowerpots, paintings with faces that seemed to watch your every move, and weirdly placed vents and doors.

"This place is weird," Mai mused.

"It's a little more than weird," Monk added as he looked around as well.

"Hey have you guys ever seen paintings like this," John questioned as he looked at some of the paintings on the wall, never faltering in his step.

"I was thinking about that," Ayako chimed, "I was wondering if the builder was ever an artist."

They didn't have to walk for much longer as Mr. Ohashi stopped and opened a door. He stood by it with a formal bow,

"Come in here, please."

The group followed his instructions and entered the large room. It was very spacious and almost normal compared to the halls. As soon as Mai entered the door, she froze. For a brief moment, she got the flash of two feet standing in front of her with blood dripping around it, yet it was gone before she could dwell on it. For the moment, she had more pressing matters. _What's… What's that smell…_ A thick metallic smell felt her senses and she had to stop herself from covering her nose. The others didn't seem concerned as they continued to enter the room, but Mai lingered in the doorway briefly to look down the hall where they just came. The hall seemed to go on forever and was mysteriously empty with no one roaming it.

Monk was the one who stopped as well to turn toward Mai,

"Is something wrong?"

"No, I'm fine," Mai lied, but she still couldn't help but look over her shoulder as she entered the room. _What was that? _

She shook her head and continued in with her group, sticking a bit close to Monk's side like a frightened sister. There were a few very long wooden tables with chairs as well as multiple smaller tables and loungers. There were already a few people conversing to themselves at different spots, but she didn't look toward them. She took a place by a smaller table with John, Ayako, and Monk while Naru, Yasuhara, Lin and Masako took a seat at a longer table and almost immediately started conversing with two other men who were sitting there. Mr. Ohashi stood at the front near the table, speaking loudly and clearly so all of them could hear him.

"This house has been unoccupied for quiet some time now and-"

He was interrupted by the door slamming open, causing a few people to jump or stand up in shock. Even Mai jumped and looked toward the door a bit frightened, prepared to see a ghostly figure. However, the figure in the door was not ghostly at all aside from the white in his hair. He was seventeen years old and his hair was black with white sides, the sides being shaved a bit closer to the head. The short hair revealed the few piercings in one of his ears as his eyes shined a brightly vivid bright mix of green and blue as if the colors were swirling together. He wore casual clothes- jeans, a nice white shirt, combat boots, a black leather jacket and a single black biker glove on one of his hands. To most, he was mostly unknown. To Mai, he was _Danny. _

Naru and Lin, however, not only knew who he was, but the two shared a look at his appearance. He had never met Daniel Fenton personally, but had seen multiple pictures of him online. To see that he did indeed of a more rogue aura about him was something different. Though Naru hid back a smirk. _Finally I may meet with him. _Multiple plans of what to do and to say went through his mind, many of them being questions he planned on asking Danny.

He looked toward the room apologetically, his eyes lingered on Mai for a brief moment. Finally, he turned toward Mr. Ohashi with a deep bow,

"My sincerest apologies, Mr. Ohashi. I tried to get here as soon as I could."

Mr. Ohashi straightened up, annoyance on his face, and cleared his throat.

"Apology accepted. You arrived here just on time and I'm quite surprised you managed to find your way through the house to us. Please take as seat."

_I almost didn't,_ Danny thought to himself, _this place is huge and everywhere I went, I could just smell death._ Danny headed toward Mai almost immediately, taking an empty seat beside her. Naru's eyes followed his every moment and his fist clenched briefly when he saw how quick Danny was to go to her. Yasuhara had a similar reaction, but had a cheerful smile on his face. As Danny sat down, Monk's eyes lingered on him briefly in a protective manner before giving a nod of approval; it was as if the 'bigger brother' was giving him the okay to sit by the 'little sister.' Mai looked toward Danny in shock, but he just winked at her and made a gesture for her to be quiet, causing her to shut her opened jaw with a small blush.

Masako and Naru both briefly glanced at Danny, sensing something was amiss about him, but what it was they weren't sure. Mr. Ohashi cleared his throat loudly, gaining everyone's attention once more.

"As I was saying, local teenagers have taken advantage of this unoccupied house by sneaking in and exploring on a dare to each other. However, two months ago, it was learned that one of them went missing. A young man from the fire brigade that was on a search for the missing boy also disappeared. Shortly after, several people reported seeing fox fires inside the house. In fact, there are many who would swear on their very souls that this house is haunted… While the house was being remodeled, there were similar stories of workers disappearing. We don't want anyone else to come to harm and would like to put any more negative rumors, which is why all of you have been invited here. Whoever exorcises the house successfully can expect a very substantial reward."

At the mention of a large sum of money, one of the men at the table looked nearly excited, commenting how _interesting _it was. Mr. Ohashi ignored the commented and continued speaking,

"Also, should any of you decide to withdraw from the case, I understand. However should you decide to remain on the premises until such time, I would greatly appreciate it… Now let me introduce everyone who has so generously agreed to join us today."

There were two women, one of an older appearance while the other seemed to be in her twenties. Both had similar modest outfits and their hair cut short. Mr. Ohashi introduced them as Miss Igarashi, the professor from Otoha University, and her assistant Naoko Suzuki. Mr. Ohashi also introduce Masako as a renowned medium and he then he introduced the rest of the SPR group as well as Monk, Ayako and John. The man who commented on the money was introduced as Reimei Minami, head of the Minami Psychic Research Council, and with him was one of his staff members, Hideo Atsugi. With the both of them, Mr. Ohashi introduced their mentor Dr. Oliver Davis, who appeared to be English. Ayako and John shared equal look of astonishment.

"You're kidding me," Ayako breathed and John nodded with equal excitement.

"Oh wow," Mai said, "Who knew we would be working with the famous Oliver Davis? Monk, isn't that cool? Uhh Monk?"

Monk, however, didn't answer as he just stared at Oliver Davis with obvious star-struck, causing Ayako to smirk.

"Look at him, so star-struck…"

Naru, however, remained unimpressed at the mention of Oliver Davis and choose to glare openly at him. Danny didn't seem that interested either as he just scoffed; _I really doubt that it's the real Oliver Davis…It's kind of weird though… Oliver Davis owns that psychic research place that has the same initials as SPR. _His eyes briefly lingered on Naru before turning away. Mr. Ohashi cleared his throat again and continued with the introductions,

"Lastly, we have the ever-so-famous Daniel Fenton."

Danny stood up and gave everyone a chipper wave,

"Call me Danny, please…"

Monk turned his star-struck expression toward Danny, causing the teen to falter slightly. Even Masako looked surprised with wide eyes. Mai crinkled her brow slightly, not knowing that Danny was considered famous. Though everyone seemed fairly impressed at the mention of his name, if not more so than they were at the mention of Oliver Davis.

"I must say I'm surprised that not one, but two, very esteemed psychic researchers are here," John mused, "It's quite unusual."

"Well," Danny added, turning toward the young priest, "I'm an unusual guy. Besides, I like cases like these… Spooky mansions are my thing."

He puffed up his chest slightly, causing both Masako and Mai to laugh to themselves.


	9. Bloodstained Labyrinth Part III

**Author Note: Please review! Updating twice today because I am not sure if I can update tomorrow so this is tomorrow's update.  
~CWA**

* * *

**CHAPTER EIGHT: BLOODSTAINED LABYRINTH PART III**

* * *

**Day One (Continued)**

The people were split off into their groups, Danny being the only one alone, as they started to head toward the rooms they were given for their stay. Yet for safety reasons, all of the rooms were in the same hall. Danny didn't have much to set up aside from just making sure his room wasn't infested with anything. Though he did set up a few cameras and computers in his room along with a ghost detector, but he doubted it would help much as it usually only detected ghosts from the Zone. He shook his head and headed out into the hall. The feeling of death lingered throughout the hall, causing a thick aura, but he tried his best to ignore it as he headed toward the direction where SPR was staying. _I hope they don't mind that I'm paying them a visit… It'll be nice to finally meet the ever-so-nice Naru and it'll be good to see Mai. _

Meanwhile the SPR group had gathered in their room, setting up various computers and screens to keep track of things. Yasuhara sat in a chair as he looked toward his friends,

"So who is this Oliver Davis and Daniel Fenton anyway?"

"Because Oliver Davis is incredible," Ayako explained, "He's not so much involved in the psychic power side as much as he's done some pretty fantastic sessions."

"But," Monk tossed in, "There was this one time, a few years ago, that he did this amazing PK demonstration."

"Was that one where he took that giant aluminum block and slammed it into a wall," Ayako asked, "I missed that one."

"And there was that famous case where he found and rescued an American billionaire son that got kidnapped," John chimed.

"Yeah, yeah," Monk stated in an excited tone, "They found him buried alive in the ground, didn't they?"

"That means he's clairvoyant too," Ayako chimed in.

_I wonder why someone so famous would come to Japan,_ Mai mused to herself, _it doesn't really make that much sense… And what about Danny? At least I knew about Oliver Davis and who he was, but I didn't know Danny was actually considered famous, just that he was a spiritualist/ghost hunter who worked at Fenton Flames._

"And what about Fenton," Yasuhara questioned.

Naru walked into the room, Lin following him, both carrying pieces of equipment. He quickly set down some of the equipment on the table. His usual blank expression was on his face as he spoke,

"Daniel Fenton is just as good, if not better, than _Oliver Davis._ Like _Oliver Davis,_ Daniel Fenton shows signs of PK, if not all the psychic abilities. There was once a case in America that required him to remove the spirit from a person, which he did so with ease, suggesting that he is also a trained exorcist. He shows knowledge of not only spirits, but in different spiritual things from different cultures as read in his books. He moved to Japan not that long ago and started up his own personal ghost hunting business called _Fenton Flames…_ It often takes cases meant for us…"

Naru scowled briefly as Mai felt her sweat drop. _Wow, Naru must not like Danny that much if he takes cases away. I've never seen Naru show so much negativity in a facial expression before, he usually hides it. _The others seemed equally as surprised, but more so impressed with the skills Danny may have. _I never knew Danny could do so much either,_ Mai mused.

"So where did you run off to," Monk asked with a smirked.

"I was carrying in the equipment, surely you all intended to do some work here…"

They gave him sheepish expression as Mai hurried over to take some equipment from Lin, who handed it to her, but didn't seem too happy about it.

"Don't bother Mai," Naru said sharply, before giving her a small smirk, "It's too heavy for a woman…"

_Why that jerk,_ Mai fumed as she set the, rather heavy, equipment on the table. Before she could give him a piece of her mind, someone entered the room. Mai gave a small smile, her previous anger gone, seeing that it was Danny. He casually strolled in with a relaxed expression and his hands in his jacket pockets. He gave everyone a grin. Monk and Ayako were quick to be the first ones to greet him, trying to push each other out of the way as they did so.

"Hello I'm Matsuzaki Ayako," her tone was a bit flirty, "What can we do for you?"

_Honestly, she flirts with everyone,_ Mai thought a bit irritated, thinking about when Ayako had flirted with Naru when they first met. Danny took a step back to add some distance between him and the woman. Monk rolled his eyes and all but pushed the woman out of the way.

"Sorry about her, the name's Takigawa Houshou, everyone calls me Monk. Can we do something for you, Mr. Fenton?"

Danny relaxed now that Ayako wasn't practically breathing on him. He rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly,

"Hello, I was actually just coming here to say hi to Mai. I never got to properly thank her for babysitting Ellie."

_Ellie is his little sister,_ Monk, along with a few others, realized. Mai stepped forward with a friendly smile,

"Like I said, Danny, it was no problem!"

"How do you two know each other," Masako asked quietly.

Danny turned to her and couldn't help but notice the similar appearance (short black hair, violet eyes). He felt a small tang in his chest and his expression dropped for just a moment; Naru, Yasuhara and Lin were the only ones to notice the small change before Danny put on his smile again.

"Mai and I are neighbors," Danny said cheerfully, "She's been helping me adjust to the Japanese culture and is nice enough to baby sit my little sister, Ellie, sometimes… So Mai, this must be the SPR group you're with?"

"Yes," Mai nodded, "This is Masako, John, Monk, Ayako, Yasuhara, Lin and Naru."

She pointed to each one as she introduced them, all who gave a small nod or bow in acknowledgement. Naru, however, stayed still as he glared at Danny. Danny noticed the glare, but just smirked with a twinkle of amusement.

"Ah yes,_ Naru the Narcissist. _Glad to see that you aren't too sour about that case I took earlier from you, Shibuya."

Naru tensed slightly, but wasn't surprised that Danny knew that he was Shibuya (and not Yasuhara who was introduced as such). Monk and John chuckled to themselves about Danny calling Shibuya by his nickname. Before Naru could comment, Mr. Ohashi walked in.

"Ah, I see you have introduced yourselves to each other. I am glad to see that you are getting along with well with Mr. Fenton. I am glad to see that you enjoy your room."

"Yes," Yasu stepped forward, "Thank you. If you don't mind, could we take this opportunity to ask you a few questions?"

Danny perked up slightly as he walked over toward Mr. Ohashi and Yasu. He threw his arm around Yasu in a casual manner with a goofy grin,

"If you don't mind, I have some questions I'd like to ask myself."

Mr. Ohashi was a bit stunned at Danny's care-free mannerism before he composed himself.

"Ah yes, of course, that'd be alright."

"Thank you," Yasu bowed his head, "Naru, if you can continue?"

"Yes, sir."

_Ah that explains it,_ Mai thought absently, _I couldn't really picture Yasu asking the questions. _Naru barely kept the scowl off his face, not pleased that Danny would be joining them on the interview. _Though this will be a chance to see how Fenton works. _Naru discretely nodded, giving a signal to the others to make themselves scarce. Mai nodded as well and the others quickly made room for the small 'interview.'

took a seat at the table. Naru sat across from him in a professional manner while Lin and Yasu took the seats to the left and right side of the table. Yasu sat with his attention on Danny, who sat on the table itself beside Naru in a casual manner, turning so he could see Mr. Ohashi. Lin didn't even look up as he typed away at his computer, documenting the information. The rest of the group stood behind Mr. Ohashi, listening and watching but offering no comment.

Danny looked to Naru, signaling him to begin the questioning. Since it was Naru's idea in the first place, he should ask the questions first.

"You said the house has been unoccupied for quite some time," Naru questioned easily, "Who was the previous tenant?"

"The prime minister's wife's grandfather and former family head. He actually built this house around Meiji Ten. Since that time, there has been numerous renovations and add on. In fact, until the last head of the family, I believe the additions were made every year so it unluckily that much of the original building remains."

"Tell us more about the former head of the family," Naru politely demanded.

"His name was Miyama Kaneyuki and he owned a lot of land here in the Suwa region. He built a silk mill and was involved in a lot of charity work even though he owned an orphanage and charity hospital. Unfortunately, he lost a lot of his ventures when the market collapsed. He was forced to close the hospital and orphanage. He passed away shortly after."

"Have you witnessed anything out of the ordinary in this house," Naru questioned.

"I haven't."

"Would it be possible to interview those who were in the house at the time of the child's disappearance?"

"Well we'd prefer to keep this as quiet as possible."

_Odd, _Danny mused, _he hasn't seen anything. We can't interview the kids who were here when the child went missing. It doesn't sound all that tragic about what happened with the grandfather. Though this house still gives off a very eerie feeling and I can sense that there's something here… _

"Do you have any idea where the source of these ghost stories came from," Danny pitched in with a question of his own.

"No, but the last head of the family might have suspected something. His last words were instructions, to leave the mansion alone. He wanted it to fade away over time."

"Last words," Naru muttered to himself, soft enough that even Danny barely heard him.

At that point, Lin finally looked up toward Mr. Ohashi.

"You wouldn't happen to have a floor plan of this house?"

"No, unfortunately there isn't one… And who are you again?"

"I am Lin Koujo."

"I'm guessing you are Chinese," Mr. Ohashi prodded.

"I am originally from Hong Kong."

_Huh,_ Danny thought, _that's kind of weird. I mean it's pretty obvious that Naru is English since he doesn't exactly have the Japanese features, but it's not uncommon for English and Americans to visit Japan. It is weird for a Chinese guy to though. I mean, isn't there some sort of hatred between the two?_ Judging by the group's reactions of Lin being Chinese, Danny had to suspect that not even they knew the truth.

"Wow Lin, I had no idea you were originally from China," Mai exclaimed.

"So what?"

His voice was laced with a bit of hostility, causing Danny to tense and glare at the man. Mai sensed the tone as well and backtracked.

"So nothing," she quickly added, a nervous expression on her face.

"If that is all," Mr. Ohashi said as he stood, "I should take my leave."

"Yes," Yasu added as he stood as well, "Thank you for your time."

Mr. Ohashi bowed to everyone briefly before he quickly left the room. Naru didn't even acknowledge Danny's presence as he turned to the group.

"I believe it's time we take temperature readings of all the rooms," Naru barked, "After the sun goes down, no one is to be alone, is that agreed? Masako, I need you to create charms, enough for each of us and all the rooms."

Naru turned to Danny, who jumped off from his spot on the table to stand by the group,

"This goes for you too. To come here, or any case for that matter, alone is foolish despite what psychic abilities you are rumored to have. The best option is for you to join us as to avoid another disappearance or possible death."

_I can take care myself, _Danny thought a bit annoyed, but he found himself nodding. _But I can't just leave all of you here. Mai's a bit naïve sometimes and she's like a sister to me. I can't have something happen to her, or to any of you… Even if that means I can't do my usual ghost routine check up… _He glanced around briefly, his body tense. _But there is something coming our way and I don't think it's friendly. _Mai noticed Danny's tension and looked at him questionably, but he offered no answer.

"Relax, Naru," Monk said as he scratched at the back of his head, "Don't you think you're jumping the gun here?"

"That sounds exactly like something someone would say to excuse laziness."

Danny looked at Naru a bit horrified that he would say something so rude as Mai rolled her eyes. Naru ignored Monk's offended look as he continued.

"This is a haunted mansion. It has been empty for quite some time. There are numerous stories and there is no floor plan. Given what we know and don't know there's a reason to be cautious…"

The aura in the room seemed to shift suddenly. Danny grabbed both Masako and Mai and held them close in a protective manner as he glared off at something in the corner. Red eyes, unseen by any of the living, beat back at him, staring intensely at Masako and Mai. Danny glared harder as the scent of blood reached his nose. _I see you, you can't hide… And you won't be getting them…_

_"I don't want to die,"_ a voice whispered throughout the room on a frequency that only Danny could hear.

Masako collapsed into Danny's arms, covering her mouth and nose with the sleeve of her kimono.

"There's a foul presence here and I think I smell blood."

Mai tensed slightly as she curled into Danny's arms. When she blinked, she saw a brief image- bloody pale feet on tile with dripping blood. The metallic smell flooded her senses.

"I think I smell it too," Mai admitted, her voice faltering.

Naru's eyes hardened as he felt the powerful aura as well.

"Danny," Yasuhara asked hesitantly, "Or umm… Mr. Fenton? Are you okay?"

"Danny," Mai questioned.

The spirit faded away from them, disappearing through the wall. Danny continued to glare where it had been before he finally realized that Yasu, along with Mai, had been saying his name.

"Huh? Oh yeah… I'm fine."

His grip on Mai and Masako didn't even lift until Masako tugged away slightly. Yasuhara looked a bit tense as he looked at Mai in Danny's arms. Even Naru's hands twitched at the sight. However, Danny let both Masako and Mai go with concerned looks. _He knows she is a psychic,_ Naru reasoned, _he wanted to protect her. She is an ally and friend… But it's also Mai… _Naru narrowed his eyes at Danny, looking briefly to the spot in the corner where Danny was glaring.

"You saw it," Naru stated firmly, bringing everyone's attention to him.

"It doesn't matter," Danny waved it off, "It's gone from this room… For the moment. Who knows when we'll be meeting it again?"

He wiggled his fingers dramatically to add to the effect, but Mai still shivered slightly as she glanced around nervously. _I don't want to meet it again… At least not personally…_


	10. Bloodstained Labyrinth Part IV

**Author Note: So I am able to update today! I didn't expect to, hence the second update yesterday. But surprise! So I am updating today! Please review! Thanks everyone so much for the reviews, follows and favorites.  
~CWA**

* * *

**CHAPTER NINE: BLOODSTAINED LABYRINTH PART IV**

* * *

**Day One (Continued)**

The group split up to do readings of the whole house (Naru and Lin in one group, John, Ayako and Masako in another with Danny, Monk, Mai and Yasuhara in the last group). Danny had even took a brief detour to his own room to get his own devices, basic equipment like temperature readings and EMF detectors, but he also grabbed the Specter Deflector (which was currently off and he took it only in case he had to put it on someone). The Specter Deflector worked on all spectral beings so even if it wasn't a ghost from the Zone, which he doubted that it was his version of a ghost, it would still deflect it and protect the wearer.

"So what is that belt for," Yasuhara asked as they made their way through the mansion, "It looks complicated."

"My own design," Danny stated proudly, not admitting that his parents were the original creators as the Specter Deflector did have upgrades on it, all of which were created by him, "It's meant to deflect ghosts."

"Deflect ghosts," Monk asked skeptically, "Does it even work?"

"'Course it does and it doesn't necessarily deflect so much as it protects the wearer from the ghost's clutches, meaning it can't touch them, and from possession. Technology mixed with the paranormal is a really fascinating thing."

He tapped the metallic belt with his finger with a grin. Mai wasn't too interested in the conversation, finding the halls they were lurking in more fascinating. Monk gave him a confused look, but made a mental note to notify Naru of the invention later.

"If it worked so well, why isn't it used by other researchers? I mean, that's kind of a big invention in the paranormal world."

"Well, it's still in the beta testing phase," the lie slid off Danny's tongue easily, "I haven't released it to the press or anyone yet, but so far it's been working like a charm. Personally, I don't use it that often though. More so protection for others."

He glanced briefly toward Mai. He couldn't help but have the strongest gut feeling that things were going to go bad at the house and not only bad, but that Mai was going to get involved. Monk noticed the look and gave Danny a sly grin.

"You like Mai, don't you?"

Yasuhara paused in his walk momentarily, focusing more on the conversation as he tensed.

"What," Danny rubbed the back of his neck, "Of course I like her. She's like a little sister to me."

Monk deflated at Danny's answer, obviously expecting something different as Yasuhara relaxed. Mai remained oblivious to the conversation as she mused to herself.

"This place sure is a maze."

"Yeah," Yasu agreed, "When they said additions, they weren't kidding. This is crazy."

Yasuhara stopped as he opened a door in the hall to another room. It didn't look familiar to them, but it was certainly as odd as the others. The shape of the room itself was almost weird with all of its corners. Doors and windows were everywhere at different heights, some of the doors being a few feet away from the ground. The windows were all shut with tight shutters.

"What is this," Mai asked as they entered the room.

"Another weird room," Danny mused.

The group remained in the room but opened various doors. Some led to just another wall and a few revealed wooden panels. Danny opened one door toward the back that just revealed another door. Confused, he opened the second door to reveal another one._ How many doors is this?_ Slightly frustrated, he started to open door after door. Just when he thought he reached the end, there was another one. Mai chose to ignore him, nearly face palming at his actions, as she explored a bit as well.

"You don't think we'll discover the body of the missing kid, do you," Yasuhara asked, but his voice was a bit calm.

"Don't be ridiculous," Monk chimed, as he opened a window a few feet off the ground, "If it's somewhere we could find it, then the police would have found it ages ago… What the heck?"

Mai and Yasuhara were quick to run over,

"Did you find a body!?"

At the mention of a body, Danny stopped trying to find the end of the 'endless doors'. Glaring at it as he went over to join the others. He made a watching motion with his hands to the door as if to say _'this isn't over yet.'_ Thankfully, when he came over, he discovered that Monk didn't find a body on the other side of the window, but instead another room.

"But why is there another room on the other side of this window," Mai questioned.

"Well the shutters look new," Danny mused, "So it must be another addition."

A small beeping from the temperature gauge alerted their attention. The addition room was left, though Danny glanced back briefly. _Something just doesn't sit right…_

"Just over four degrees," Mai read.

"Well should we keep moving," Yasuhara asked.

"Yeah, I guess… Which way did we come in again?"

Danny pointed North while Monk pointed to a door on the West side and Yasuhara pointed to a door to the East.

"This way," they all said before exchanging confused glances.

"Oh great," Mai sighed before giving a small chuckle, "Wouldn't it be hilarious if we all managed to get lost in here?"

"As funny as it would be," Danny said dryly, "I'd rather not end up as another name of those who disappeared."

"Yeah… I guess you're right… So which door are we taking?"

Danny shrugged and settled for opening a random one, which seemed to take them back to the hallway. He nearly groaned realizing that the door was on the South side, meaning none of them were right when they guessed which way they came from. It wasn't long before they were back to taking temperature readings, going room to room, but one room made them all pause.

It was still just as odd as the other rooms, but there was something even weirder. A lone boxed off area sat in the middle of the room with a door.

"A room within a room," Yasuhara muttered, "No way, this is like a real life video game."

They all walked toward the strange door with a bit of amusement.

"A real-life dungeon maybe," Monk joked.

"If it were a dungeon, then there'd be something in there," Yasu pointed out as he opened the door.

To Mai's relief, there was nothing in there though Danny glanced around thoughtfully inside of it, sticking his head through the doorway. _Yeah this is pretty weird._ He brought his head back out and shut the door to the room, though Monk was musing to himself.

"That reminds me, while there may not be any dungeons in it, have you heard of the Winchester mansion?"

"As in Winchester riffles," Yasu asked confused.

"Yeah," Danny mused, "Now that you mention it this place is like it. The inventor of the riffle left behind a widow when he died. For years, she put on additions to the house to protect her from curses and spirits. She thought that spirits of those killed by the gun would come to haunt her. It's supposed to be a maze like this…"

The door creaked open, causing Mai to jump. Danny recognized the two men that entered as the guys that came with _'Dr. Oliver Davis.' _Reimei Minami, head of the Minami Psychic Research Council, was with his staff member Hideo Atsugi.

"Oh excuse us," Mr. Minami said with a small grin, "We didn't realize there was anyone in here. You're all with Shibuya Psychic Research, aren't you? And you're Daniel Fenton?"

He stepped forward toward Danny and bowed deeply, Mr. Atsugi copying his movement.

"It's a pleasure to meet the esteemed Daniel Fenton… Ah the eagerness of youth. I find it refreshing. Of course, when it comes to psychic research, it's all about experience_."_

Mai and Danny shared a look. _Get a load of this fruitloop,_ Danny thought as he crossed his arms. Mai was the one who looked openly offended while Monk just glared slightly.

"So," he continued, "I'll be very curious to see how well you kids do."

Yasuhara stepped forward with a big grin.

"Pardon me, I realize I may look young, but the truth is I just turned two-hundred and forty-nine this year. I've got great genes, everyone in my family practically lives forever."

Mr. Minami looked affronted at Yasu's words as Yasuhara continued with a small grin. Danny shared an amused look with Mai, both of them understanding now that Yasuhara made the best 'body double' for Shibuya now. _He's great at throwing people off,_ Danny thought, _plus this is pretty funny._ Mr. Minami quickly went from shocked to angry as he stepped toward Yasuhara in a threatening manner.

"I don't really appreciate being made fun of, kid. But alright smart guy, tell me when you were born."

"I was born in Horeki Eight," Yasuhara answered, easily, "You know, I think you young kids today are super. Of course, if I talked to my elders with the same sort of disrespect that you've shown me, I would have felt it for a week."

Danny, Mai and Monk started to chuckle in the background as Yasuhara continued,

"Yeah times sure were tough back then, I'll never forget the Great Tenmei Famine…"

Yasuhara continued as Monk barely was able to contain his laughter.

"Man," Monk whispered through his laughter, "Naru sure knew what he was doing, this kid is awesome…"

"It's kind of freaking me out a little," Mai answered through her own giggles.

Mr. Minami glared openly as Yasuhara babbled before finally turning to leave with his assistant, ignoring Yasu completely.

"…They scared me to death with stories of the- oh please wait, I'm not done yet, Mr. Minami!"

Danny gave Yasuhara a big appreciative pat on the back as they all went to stand by Yasuhara.

"Great job," Danny praised, "That was truly amazing…"

"Thanks, but I feel really guilty," he bowed his said slightly as he brought his hands up in a mock prayer, "Please forgive me for being a jerk to the jerk."

* * *

After their confrontation with Mr. Minami, the group made their way back to Naru and the others to inform them of the temperature readings. Before they entered, however, Danny gave a quick goodbye to Monk, Yasu, and Mai. _It's best I take a look around VIA phantom style,_ Danny thought as he bowed to the others.

"I need to get my own readings of the place with my own equipment on my own- my devices are a bit different from yours and I fear if I did it at the same time as you guys that it might interfere with results. Plus I like to get my own read of the place by myself. I'll be back shortly."

"Are you sure, Danny," Mai questioned, a bit of concern in her voice, "Naru said it's best to stick together."

"I can take care of myself," Danny waved off her concern, "I'll be back in a bit to keep an eye on you guys."

Before anyone could stop him, Danny was down the hall and around a corner. Mai watched after him for a second, Monk and Yasu doing the same. The three of them shared equally concerned looks, knowing that it was dangerous to go out on your own, especially in a place like the mansion where you could easily get lost. Nevertheless, they entered the room to join the others. John, Ayako and Masako were waiting for them. Naru was already back to writing things down in his clipboard with Lin typing away at the computer.

"Temperature readings were low in each room," Mai informed Naru.

Naru looked up briefly, noticing the lack of one person. As if sensing his question, Monk stepped forward,

"Danny said he has to get his own read of the place by himself. I wouldn't worry too much about him though. He's a pretty powerful psychic and not to mention that weird device he had… What was it called again, Yasu?"

"I believed he said it was the Specter Deflector," Yasuhara answered easily, "He said that it was his own invention, still in the testing stage so there hasn't been publicity for it, meant to keep spirits from touching you or possessing you… He said so far it's proved to work. He should be back shortly."

Naru quickly wrote the information down with a curious gleam in his eyes._ Interesting. Such a device should be impossible, unless perhaps he found a way to mix both technology and charms? _Lin had similar thoughts as he briefly paused in his typing before continuing. Quickly, Naru got back in track as he turned to the group.

"I don't think we should call it a day before we got the night-vision cameras, thermograph and condenser microphones set in each room. Remember to stick together no matter what happens. Fenton should be here shortly and be sure he knows not to pull something like this again, even with a device like he claims, it's dangerous. Tomorrow, we're to measure each room and hallway so we can create a working floor plan."

Monk clapped his hands,

"Well it looks like we're back to work, everyone. This won't be over anytime soon…"

* * *

Floating around invisible and intangible proved to be easier than he thought it was going to be, especially in a mansion full of psychics. _Come out, come out wherever you are,_ Danny thought as he wandered around. The spirit he saw earlier had to be somewhere nearby. There was no way it just vanished from the property. Spirits, at least ones in the dimension he was in, didn't work like that.

Room to room, hallway to endless hallway, Danny grew a bit more tired and aggravated. The mansion was complex and confusing. If he could just stick his body or head through any wall, he was bound to get lost if he wasn't careful. After checking the mansion, he still couldn't find anything aside from the occasional _something is wrong_. He lingered outside in search for the spirit. If it wasn't in the house, it had to be in the property somewhere. His gut lead him toward the garden where the bad feeling got stronger. To his bad luck, the garden itself was a large hedge maze with a single path leading him through it. He had to be through.

_"I don't want to die,"_ an old croaky voice echoed through the garden maze.

"Who are you," Danny demanded as he lit up a small ectoblast, continuing through the maze, "Where did you go?"

"_I don't want to die…"_

He spotted a dark figure dash across one of the maze's paths. Danny quickly turned to follow it, but he hesitated. _That isn't the same figure I saw before. It was like a pure shadow. The one before was just pale with red eyes… It's leading me away from the house._ He glanced toward the house with an aggravated sigh, he quickly flew back toward it. _I just hope it doesn't do anything while I'm gone._

* * *

It took a while to get all the work done, but eventually it was finished and they joined together in their room to regroup. Monk paused, however, when a thought occurred to him. Mai was still underage. Weren't her parents going to worried about her? _Come to think of it, I didn't see them when we went over to her house either… And Danny, though he's a famous psychic, is still underage and at least Naru has Lin…_

"Hey Mai," Monk asked, "Don't you need to call someone to let them know where you are?"

Mai didn't seem to concerned as she continued to just write a bit of information down on a form, recording the temperature readings from earlier.

"Not really. Since I don't have any parents so it's not like there will be anyone will be home waiting."

That sentence got everyone's attention as they turned to her curiously. Ayako, John and Monk both had a look of concern on their faces. Naru looked up from his work, careful to not show his concern, but even Lin paused in his typing as Mai continued,

"My dad died when I was little so it's like I remember him much. My mom died when I was in Middle School."

"Don't you have any aunts or uncles," Ayako questioned, her voice laced with sympathy, but Mai didn't seem upset.

"Nu-uh, no one. Neither of my parents had any brothers or sisters."

"But whose been taking care of you," John asked.

"Oh," Mai smiled faintly, "I had this teacher that was really nice and let her come to stay at her house for a while, but now it's just me. I'm all grown-up! My school is great for people having hard times so my tuition is free. Between that and my job, everything I need is taken care of and since I do well, my school is letting me take off whenever."

Masako gave Mai a small grin, happy that she was doing well, as did the others. Ayako was quick to comment jokingly,

"I see, so if you want to skip, you just got to say you have work."

"Yep," Mai laughed, "I can stay out as long as I want."

Monk stepped forward and grabbed Mai, bringing her closely to his chest,

"If life ever gets you down, you just come and cry on Monk's shoulder."

"No way, let go you dirty old man," Mai joked as she pushed him away.

He flicked her nose,

"There's no need to be rude."

That comment set them all into a friendly joking mode as they shared a good laugh, Monk even gave Mai playful ruffles on the head. _These cases may be scary,_ Mai mused, _But sometimes I wish times like this can go forever. When we're all joking around and laughing, it makes me so happy… It's the best feeling ever… _Their moment was ruined as Danny walked in, pausing as he took in the scene before him.

"Am I interrupting something," he asked with an amused tone, "I can always come back."

Mai gave him a funny look, causing him to laugh, as Monk finally let Mai go to step toward Danny.

"Actually, I was wondering, you're underage too, right? Naru has Lin, but don't you have someone you need to call? Or are you an orphan like our Mai here?"

He gave a playful shove at Mai, but his eyes showed that he was asking a serious question. Ayako and the others looked toward Danny, curious about his parents as well. Naru, however, was a bit more focused on the belt that hung from Danny's hips- _that must be the device that Monk spoke about. I have never seen anything like it… _Danny rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly, silently thanking that at least his identity in this dimension had a similar back story to his real one.

"I'm an orphan like Mai too, actually. My parents died in a fire a couple of years ago and I became legally independent as I got custody of my little sister."

It took everything he had to keep his voice from cracking and his jaw clenched slightly. _Curious,_ Naru mused, _he doesn't seem sad more angry…_ Danny tensed and cleared his throat, uncomfortable with the silence that just befell them.

"I'm sorry for your loss," John offered finally, the other murmuring in agreement.

"Don't be," Danny said instantly, a bit of venom in his voice.

Naru stepped forward, sensing a bit of hostility from Danny,

"This is pointless. It's getting late. We should all get some sleep."

The group nodded in agreement, wasting no time to leave the now tense room. Mai spared one look toward Danny in sympathy before she left with Masako and Ayako to go toward their shared room. However, Lin, Naru and Danny stayed behind in the room.

"Danny," Naru spoke firmly, "All the others are sharing a room. Monk, John and Yasu are in the room next over and across the hall is the girls. You should stay with Lin and I."

Danny gave Naru a sly look.

"Ohhh is that your way of saying you're actually concerned for me?"

"Don't be stupid. I don't want to send a search party after you if you go missing. You're a valuable asset in the terms of the paranormal field."

"You're totally concerned about me… I'm touched, really, but I don't swing that way."

Lin covered a small chuckle as Naru glared.

"Don't be an idiot, Fenton."

"No can do, _Naru."_

* * *

That night, the girls all slept in their shared room. Mai tossed and turned slightly. Part of her mind was still thinking about Danny- he was an orphan as well. It made sense. She never did see his parents and he seemed to take perfectly good care of Ellie by himself. Yet she didn't have time to dwell on it as she heard the faint sound of dripping. She rubbed at her eyes in a sleepy manner as she sat up in bed. _Is something dripping? Probably left the faucet on. _

She got up and headed to the bathroom, but to her confusion the sink faucet was off. The dripping sound continued and she tensed, hearing it from the behind the bath curtain. _It smells like metal…_ She looked down to see red spots on the floor by the bathtub and blood slowly dripping from the tub. She tensed and with a gulp, she opened the curtain. A body laid there, dead with its eyes rolled back as the tub itself was filled with its blood.

She woke up with a start, the lights of the room were on. _It was just a dream… But it was so awful… I feel sick…_


	11. Bloodstained Labyrinth Part V

**Author Note: Updating today's chapter earlier than I usually do (it's nearly one in the morning here) because I decided to stay up late and I know I will end up sleeping until around noon tomorrow. Enjoy the chapter and thank you so much for the follows, favorites and reviews!  
~CWA**

* * *

**CHAPTER TEN: BLOODSTAINED LABYRINTH PART V**

* * *

**Day Two**

The next day, they continued taking measurements of the rooms. John, Yasu, Monk, and Mai joined together in one of the rooms with a confused expression. Though last night's conversation still lingered in the back of their minds. Mai was still a bit tense from her dream the previous night, but at the moment the room seemed to be more confusing than the dream.

"This is so weird," Mai muttered, "If you go by outside measurements, it's a rectangle. But when you look at the room, it's a square."

"Which means if we measured correctly, the thickness of the walls would be like three meters," Yasuhara chimed in.

"It's weird," Monk mused, "Maybe we got some of the measurements wrong…"

They didn't have time to talk anymore about it as someone entered the room. Turning, they saw that their visitor was Miss Igarashi, the professor from Otaho University, though her assistant was no where in sight.

"Excuse me, Mr. Shibuya," she asked politely.

"Yes," Yasu questioned, taking a moment to realize that she was speaking to him, "What is it?"

"I thought it would be a good idea to hold a séance here tonight and I would like to invite everyone at the mansion to participate if possible."

"Of course, we'd just have to round up the others," Yasu answered, a bit hesitant.

"Of course," Miss Igarashi bowed her head.

* * *

Danny bit the inside of his cheek recalling his awkward night with Naru and Lin. He had taken the floor, insisting for Lin to take the other bed. It was tense as if there was unanswered questions left dangling. He felt that Naru was watching him constantly with curiosity and questions. _But I'd rather he just ask me than have him think about it constantly to himself. _Though he did answer a few questions from Naru last night. The Specter Deflector was a silent, secret project he was working on and wasn't made to go public yet as it was still in the testing stage. It had a few bugs, but it was so far reliable. _It should be enough information to keep him satisfied for a while. Heck, I even lent him it for now. _He absently scratched at his hip, where the belt should have been, but only touched his clothes.

He shadowed behind Naru, Masako, Ayako, John and Lin as they worked in the room taking measurements. Well, Ayako and John were taking measurements. Masako was trying to get a read of the place, though Danny doubted she would find anything. They were interrupted by someone entering the room, whom they recognized as Naoko Suzuki, Miss Igarashi's assistant from the Otaho University.

"Excuse me," she asked quietly, her voice barely audible, "Miss Igarashi was wondering if it was possible for everyone to join her for a séance. We believe it would be beneficial."

She bowed her head, not meeting their eyes. Naru gave a quick nod,

"We will join you as soon as the rest of our group come back."

She nodded and started to leave, but Danny was quick to stop her as he stepped forward toward the young woman.

"Hey wait a second! I'll come with you, it's dangerous to walk around here alone, you know?"

From the corner of his eye, he saw Naru giving him a small nod of approval. _I don't need your approval, you narcissist. _Though Danny didn't linger on it as he walked out of the room by the pretty girl's side. She led him down the hallway quietly, barely saying a word, and it wasn't long before the silence started to get onto his nerves.

"Um so Miss Suzuki," Danny started, "How are you doing so far with this case?"

She paused slightly, unsure how to answer as people rarely spoke to her.

"…Good, I suppose," she finally whispered, "Miss Igarashi is a good woman who has taught me much about the paranormal."

Danny gave a small smile,

"I should hope so. She seems pretty nice. Nicer than that Minami guy anyway."

She gave a small giggle at Danny's remark with a faint blush. Danny continued to smile in a comforting manner, trying to reach out to the shy assistant to the best of his abilities. However, he didn't get a chance to say anymore as Suzuki opened the door and lead Danny into it, where he found that the others were waiting. _Now we just have to wait for the others,_ Danny thought as he took a seat at the table. Suzuki sat beside him, occasionally giving him shy looks discretely with a blush. The lights were turned down a bit, almost enough where Danny could barely see. He did glance briefly toward where 'Oliver Davis' was sitting. _I still don't trust him. There's no way he's the real thing- I don't sense any psychic abilities from him at all._

He didn't have to wait long for the others. The door opened as Miss Igarashi lead the SPR group (including John, Ayako, Monk and Masako) into the room. Suzuki stood up and went over to talk to her mentor almost instantly as Miss Igarashi bowed to the SPR group,

"Please do come in."

They did so silently, taking seats across from Danny. Mai giving Danny a small wave of hello, which he returned with a goofy grin. Yasu, however, went to Minami with a small bow,

"I'm sorry for yesterday."

Minami ignored the apology as he cleared his throat and stood up. He walked over toward where Miss Igarashi was talking silently with Suzuki.

"Miss Igarashi, can we get a little more light in here? It's difficult to shoot with the light so dark."

Danny narrowed his eyes slightly as Minami held up the small camera he was holding. Miss Igarashi didn't seem to pleased either.

"Oh. Is that a camera?"

"Yes I use it often."

"I see. When you asked to record this session, I assumed you had brought a night-vision camera."

"Night-vision," Minami stuttered, "I beg your pardon."

"I'm sorry Mr. Minami, but there will be only one candle during this session. Spirits not to tend the light."

_Wow how can he not know something so basic,_ Mai wondered and she glanced toward Danny. It was obvious from his expression that he had similar thoughts to hers while Naru was glancing at Mr. Minami with almost suspicion and hatred.

* * *

In the end, Naru had brought the night-vision camera from their own equipment to record the session. The night sky lingered above them outside the mansion, casting an eerie dark moon. The room was almost pitch black, the only light being a single candle in the middle of the room. The tables and chairs were moved to the side to create a more open atmosphere. The group stood toward the back, watching the session, and a camera was recording from the other side. In the middle of the room, Miss Igarashi sat in a circle with Yasuhara (whom to them was the leader of the SPR, Shibuya), Minami, Suzuki (who was sitting still in front of a blank sheet of paper), 'Oliver Davis' and Danny. They all held hands aside from Suzuki, whose right hand lingered above the paper with a piece of writing utensil and the other was gripped gently by Miss Igarashi.

The small group tried to relax and open their minds, but their eyes were opened as Miss Igarashi began to speak.

"Let us all take a deep breath and call out to the spirits, those living here in this house… To you who dwell around us, I welcome you to use this woman's hand to speak your will to us… Please speak to us and help us understand your wishes. If you can hear me, please use this woman to speak your will to us…"

The candle flickered brighter as Masako let out a small gasp. Mai turned to her questionably, but noticed that Danny seemed tense as well. His grip was tight around Yasuhara's hand and Minami's. He felt the presence enter the room. Yet, he couldn't disturb the séance so he was forced to sit still. A small squeaking sound was heard and Mai gasped to herself as Suzuki, with her eyes closed, began to rapidly write on the paper only to fill it, toss it to the side, and fill out another one. Rapidly, she wrote, paper after paper. Danny watched her with a clenched jaw, grinding his teeth- even from his position, he could see the Japanese characters that were being wrote down. Minami, Yasu, and 'Oliver Davis' had expressions of shock however, as the young woman continued to write the seemingly same characters over and over again on more and more papers.

There was a rapid loud banging noise above them, shaking the chandler and causing the whole room to rumble. The candle tipped over, burning the light out, but Suzuki continued to write unconcerned. If it wasn't for Danny's grip on Minami's hand, the man would have shot up as he glanced around in a frightened manner.

"Sit still," Danny hissed, "If you move and ruin this circle, it could get worse."

The banging sound continued for a while and a few things seemed to be knocked around. Minami pulled away from Danny's grip and rolled into a ball. The presence in the room grew more angered and violent- they all could feel it. The sounds got louder and louder. Yasuhara let go of Danny's hand, but was a bit surprised when Danny himself didn't seem to move. Danny tried to move, but he could feel the presence holding him down to keep him in place. He growled slightly, bringing worried looks from many of those around him. He tugged on his arms slightly, but he felt as if he couldn't move. He couldn't see the spirit, but it was obviously there, holding him down. There was a pressure on his chest, making it difficult to breath. _Damn it all! This damn thing! I can't phase through it! _

Monk jumped forward as Mai let out a small frightened sound. He made gestures with his hands,

_"Naumaku san manda bazarada kan,"_ Monk stated firmly, his eyes hard, he repeated the phrase several times before finally it all stopped.

The banding sound stopped as Naru flicked on the lights, his expression showed no fear or concern. Suzuki leaned forward with a gasp as she gripped her head in a bit of pain. Danny let out a loud audible breath as he coughed, hitting his chest with hand a bit to get his breathing back to normal. Minami was on the floor, rocking back and forth in fear- unsuited for an adult man. Papers were scattered all across the floor with the same Japanese characters on all of them.

John, being the concerned Catholic priest and healer he was, stepped forward toward Danny with a concerned expression.

"Are you okay?"

"Damn thing was holding me down," Danny grunted, "Chest… Give me a second…"

He coughed violently again, bringing a few curious looks. Naru didn't seem concerned, though Danny wasn't sure if it was because he didn't care or if it was because Naru knew Danny could take care of himself. Naru picked up on the papers and looked at the characters on it,

"It appears you summoned a spirit," he stated simply as he flipped the paper over, revealing what it said.

"It says help," Mai whispered.

As they looked at all the papers, all of them said the same thing. _Help. _Though Monk picked up the one beside Danny with a curious look,

"This one's different," he flipped it over revealing what it said, causing an audible gasp to be heard from most of the people.

_I don't want to die,_ the paper read clearly.


	12. Bloodstained Labyrinth VI

**Author Note: Please review!  
~CWA**

* * *

**CHAPTER ELEVEN: BLOODSTAINED LABYRINTH PART VI**

* * *

**Day Two (Continued)**

Minami, his staff member, and Oliver Davis had gone back to their rooms, all of them clearly shaken by the events. However, the SPR group, including Danny, had joined with Suzuki and Miss Igarashi in their own room with all of their equipment. Danny sat down, taking a few deep breaths. He wasn't hurt, not that bad anyway. Yet when the spirit had pressed down on his chest it felt like it was just keeping him from breathing. Not breathing concerned Danny much more than the fact that the spirit was able to hold him down. It reminded him too much of his parents. He winced slightly and brought his hand to his chest and rubbed it. Lin was looking over the video footage and sound while Naru began questioning Suzuki.

"Can you describe what it felt like?"

"It was like my hand was being led by the marker. I felt like if I let go, it would just fly off on its own," Suzuki answered honestly, a hand to her mouth in worry.

Miss Igarashi gave the woman a comforting look as the questioning continued. Monk, however, just turned to Yasuhara with a joking look,

"Hey _boss,_ you do seem pretty calm."

"That's just because I have nerves of steel," Yasuhara answered easily with a grin, but he wasn't able to continue.

"Stop it there," Naru demanded as he hovered behind Lin's shoulder looking at the video screen, "Rewind to 53 seconds and go frame by frame."

Lin did as instructed and they all gathered around to see what was caught on tape. Mai and Suzuki both gave concerned looks to Danny, who seemed a bit hurt. They watched the video closely and saw that as Suzuki wrote it down, one of the papers she tossed was blank. Yet as it hit the ground, the words just appeared on it from nowhere. The very paper read, _I don't want to die._ A stunned silence went through the group.

"There wasn't anything on it until it hit the floor," Ayako whispered.

Masako gave a gulping sound as she doubled over, Mai barely able to catch her.

"I'm sorry," Masako whispered, "I just don't feel well."

"Do you want to go back to our room," Mai offered.

"Matsuzaki," Naru barked, "Go with them."

"We should be fine on our own-"

"-No way," Naru interrupted harshly and Mai was stunned as Ayako came over to help the two girls out of the room.

Danny watched them leave with a sympathetic look, but Mai's eyes were on Naru, who was still glaring at the screen. _He's more on edge than normal, _Mai wondered, _What's so bad though? What's going on?_ As soon as the girls left, Danny gave a pained groan._ Great, the stupid thing upset an old injury. _John and Monk turned to Danny with concerned looks.

"Are you doing alright," Monk asked, "What exactly happened in there anyway?"

"It didn't exactly like me," Danny muttered, "But no bad spirit ever does, really… When things started to get bad, the scent of blood filled the room and I tried to move to see if I could get rid of it but…"

"But it didn't want to go," Naru finished, "What exactly did it do to keep you from moving? Are you in any pain now?"

"It held me down," Danny answered honestly, "That's not an easy thing to do either. Aside from the obvious, I mean, I'm a pretty skilled psychic for a reason. Spirits don't typically get the upper hand…"

Danny gave a harsh cough as Monk, John, Lin, Naru and Yasu shared concerned looks. Danny was easily about six feet tall, if taller, despite being seventeen and he was pretty muscular. That plus his abilities as a psychic… If a spirit could hold him down then it must be strong.

"And I'm not that hurt," Danny coughed, "It just kept a pretty big pressure on my chest until Monk dispelled it which aggravated an old injury…"

"Old injury," Naru questioned, causing Danny to wince.

"I don't exactly have the best lungs."

His parents' experiments had left many scars, outside his body, mentally, and even inside his body. His lungs, he learned, was just of the few organs effected from their experiments. He didn't need to breath that often due to his half ghost status, but he still needed air. Now his lungs barely even allowed him to get enough oxygen as it was. He pulled out a small inhaler from his pocket._ I hate this thing so much,_ Danny though absently, but it was needed as he took a quick breath from it. Naru raised an eyebrow, curious as to why Danny, of all people, who seemed to be in good physical health, apparently had asthma or something similar to it._ The mystery around him seems to get deeper and deeper… _Naru glanced at the screen, still showing the paper on it, _But we have more pressing matters to attend to… _

* * *

Thanks to Mai and Ayako, Masako was back in bed in their room in a comfortable kimono that she wore for bed. Mai sat on the bed across from Masako as Masako continued talking to her.

"Yes, I smelt blood," Masako continued, "it was as if my body was soaked with it. The smell was so strong, I thought was I was going to be sick."

"Do you think it could be a scent for the spirit," Mai asked.

"What do you think Mai," Masako asked gently, "Are _you_ sensing any spirits?"

"Well I don't know what you mean," Mai huffed slightly.

"During the last case you seemed to be the only one who saw the same apparition that I did."

"Huh? You mean Saouchi? Well that's just crazy, I haven't had any of those dreams lately," Mai waved it off.

Ayako walked into the room, dressed comfortably in her own pajamas, as she dried her hair.

"Well you two seem to be getting along."

"You must be joking," Masako said simply, "Clearly someone like me doesn't associate with someone like this."

"Hey," Mai let out a small cry, "What's that supposed to be?"

"It's just how you are," Masako waved it off, "I didn't say it was a bad thing."

Mai let out a cry as she glared at the medium.

"You're an awful person!"

"Maybe but at least I'm pretty and talented!"

"You're one of the meanest girls I have ever known! Why do you hate me!?"

"You know," Masako turned her head away from Mai, "I'm not sure. Maybe it's just because you're breathing!"

Mai growled slightly as she felt her face get red with anger. She grabbed a nearby pillow,

"I'll breath on you, you creep!"

She used all of her strength to throw the pillow as hard as she could muster, but Masako dodged with a blank calm expression, causing the pillow to hit Ayako in the face.

"Ugh that's great, you two really are on your way to being best friends…"

"Oh no way, I'd never be best friends with her," they both cried out in union.

* * *

_A lone spirit wandered through the empty hallways that night. His body pale, thin and bony. His eyes were wide with insanity, his jaw dislocated. Blood dripped from him, causing him to leave a trail of bloody footprints. _

_"I don't want to die," the croaky voice whispered as a green breathy mist exited his mouth. _


	13. Bloodstained Labyrinth Part VII

**Author Note: Thank you for all the favorites, follows and reviews!  
~CWA**

* * *

**CHAPTER TWELVE: BLOODSTAINED LABYRINTH PART VII**

* * *

**Day Three**

The next day, Danny woke up to the sense that something was wrong. It was stronger than ever and he quickly dressed and headed out, having went to his own room in the middle of the night to avoid Naru and Lin. It wasn't necessarily anything personal, but after the experience at the séance he knew he was bound to have nightmares. He didn't want any questions about it and he didn't want to keep anyone up with his tossing and turning. Or worse.

Of course they weren't going to be happy with him, but he figured he could deal with any hostility from them. He headed down stairs quickly toward the sound of voices as he put on his black leather jacket, meant to cover the scars on his arms and a single leather biker glove to cover the scar on his hand from the lab accident.

Miss Igarashi was in tears, being comforted by John and Yasu. Monk and the others were there, though Danny saw no signs of Mai or the girls. He headed over quickly with a concerned expression.

"What happened," he demanded.

"Suzuki," Miss Igarashi sobbed, "She's missing. No one's seen her."

Danny tensed slightly and he digested the information as his fists clenched.

"We heard screaming last night," Monk added, "Maybe it was her? Though it sounded a bit deeper…"

Danny inwardly cursed as he let out a sheepish cough,

"The screaming was actually me. I have some pretty bad night terrors sometimes, bad memories and all that."

He played it off casually, adding a sheepish smile. Though the information was filed away for future use by both Naru and Lin. Before he could continue, Mai and the other girls appeared, dressed in their day clothes.

"What happened," Mai asked concerned.

"Miss Suzuki has gone missing," Monk informed her with a grin expression.

"Please calm down, Miss Igarashi," Yasuhara said gently as he and John helped the woman into a chair.

Danny got a bit closer as he gave a thoughtful expression.

"When was the last time you saw her," he questioned.

"I woke up once, around daybreak I think and she was right there, sleeping."

"Do you know the time," Naru continued the questioning, but Miss Igarashi shook her head.

"No, but I woke up around seven o'clock."

"It's about ten o'clock now," Danny pointed out, "So she's only been gone for three hours at least."

Mr. Ohashi entered the room, but from his face they knew he had no good news.

"Sorry to keep you waiting. I questioned the staff, but no one has seen her last night or early this morning. So far there is no news and I checked the front door, it's still locked."

"Which means she didn't go outside," Monk pointed out.

"Oh no," Miss Igarashi shook her head, "She can't get too far without her contact lenses."

"Why don't we ask Mr. Davis to use his clairvoyance," Mai pitched in.

Minami walked in with Mr. Davis and his staff member.

"We just heard what happened," Minami announced, "I'm sorry, this is terrible. We will like to do whatever we can to help."

"Oh thank you," Miss Igarashi bowed her head, "If I may, I'd like to ask if Mr. Davis to attempt his psychometery. Maybe he can help find her. Perhaps he could use this contact lens case? If he could at least try, I'd be very grateful."

The concern and hope in her voice made Danny's heart go out to the woman. It was clear that she was close to her assistant and he bit his lip slightly as Naru looked away. Minami grabbed the lenses and handed it to Oliver Davis as they exchanged a few words quietly in English. Danny tensed slightly, hearing enough to know that his suspicions of Oliver Davis, or at least this man claiming to be him, was a fake were true. Minami turned toward Miss Igarashi with a forlorn expression as he handed the case back to her.

"I'm sorry, he is unable to see with this."

_Bullshit,_ Danny thought with a small growl, causing Naru to glance toward him briefly.

"But why not," Miss Igarashi cried out.

"He is only able to use an object that was with the person when they went missing," Minami explained easily.

"Oh no," Miss Igarashi cried as she started to sob.

Mai stepped forward with an angered expression.

"Are you saying we should just search for something she dropped when she went missing!?"

"I don't make the rules," Minami snapped, "Did anyone consider the fact that maybe the events from the séance traumatized the girl that she just went home. Young people these days don't have much staying power."

Danny growled slightly as he stepped forward.

"Are you trying to say something," he hissed harshly, taking them by surprise, "I don't care much for liars, Mister Minami nor do I care for fakes. If that man is who you claim him to be then he should be able to use his abilities just fine to sense Suzuki. So help me, when you're exposed, Mister Minami…"

He glared harshly at Mister Minami, who had taken a step backward for fear of being hit. Danny turned to _Oliver Davis_ and muttered something in English that the rest of them didn't catch.

_"You're fool for involving yourself with cheap scams like these guys."_

The man looked at him surprised before turning toward Minami and the other staff member, both of whom were now glaring at Danny before they left briskly. The halfa turned toward Miss Igarashi and gently took the case from her hands.

"I don't know Miss Suzuki that well, Miss Igarashi, but she seemed like a kind woman. I doubt that she would just run off without telling you. If you'd allow me, I'd like to try to use my own abilities to see if I can find out where she went or at least her trail."

He smiled at the woman kindly, who looked at him with wide hopeful eyes as she sputtered out her appreciate and thank you's. _Wow, Danny doesn't really like Minami, _Mai wondered, _but is what he said about Mr. Davis true? Is he a fake? And I knew Danny had his own psychic abilities, but it didn't occur to me that he might have psychometric abilities or be clairvoyant._ Naru looked over toward Danny curious as he encased the lens case in his hands tightly. He took a deep breath as he stepped way from everyone and toned his abilities.

He closed his eyes and focused on his ghostly core as well as his inner human core. He felt the power flow through his veins and circle around the case. He breathed out slowly and carefully, feeling his ghostly aura pulse outward.

To the others, it seemed that he was really was using some sort of psychic ability as he gave off a powerful aura. To Masako, he was giving off a spiritual energy that gave off a sense of protection and warmth, so much that she took a step back with awe. To Lin and Naru, it was clear that he was using some sort of ability, but psychometry was _not _it. Finally, Danny opened his eyes and for a brief moment, Mai thought they were pure green- _pure bright green_\- as opposed to the green-blue mix they usual were. Danny looked around and let his ghostly aura take the led.

"…I can sense where she might have gone. Farther into the house and down… I can try to lead you to her, but I can't promise she'll be there."

Miss Igarashi shook her head,

"I'll stay here until your return… I don't think I could keep up with you… But thank you, thank you so much…"

Danny gave a small nod. At Naru's silent order, John, Monk, Yasuhara and Mai followed Danny as he started to leave the room. The others, however, split up to search the rest of the house until Danny's return- all except Mr. Ohashi who stayed to comfort Miss Igarashi. Danny didn't pay too much attention to them as he walked on some sort of autopilot through the house.

"So night-terrors," Monk finally asked, if anything to break the tension in the air, "That's gotta be something."

"Night terrors," Mai repeated, "Danny?"

"You knew I had them," he waved her off, still not turning to face anyone, "You heard me screaming that one night from your apartment remember?"

Mai shivered slightly at the memory as she remembered the deathly screams. John and Monk shared a concern look, both knowing that night terrors were not something that was common in older teens or adults, but when it did make itself known it was not pleasant.

"You scream that loud," Monk questioned as Danny opened a door and lead them all into a dark room, but Danny didn't answer.

The room was dark enough that they had to use their flashlights to search it as no other lights were available. Danny took a deep breath, the scent of blood filling his nose. _And not all of the scent is from my psychic abilities either,_ he thought grimly as he shined his flashlight toward the ground, searching for something.

"Do you think she was taken," Mai asked a bit frightened.

"By who," Monk asked skeptically.

"I don't know, maybe by the spirit who thought Suzuki could help them or something?"

"I hear ya, she was the one who experienced the spirit calling for help," Yasu added.

"Here it is," Danny exclaimed loudly, bringing the others to his attention.

They rushed over to find that his light was shining on a hidden door on the ground.

"A door," Yasu questioned.

"But where does it go," Mai wondered.

"Only one way to find out," Danny chimed, "This is where her trail ends, just before this door actually."

They slowly opened the door, seeing a ladder that would lead them downward. _This is where it ends,_ Danny thought grimly as the blood smell out a bit stronger, _and if we find her… I don't think we'll find her alive…_


	14. Bloodstained Labyrinth Part VIII

**Author Note: I feel I should warn everyone that the outline for this fic is pretty long (like _the longest I have ever planned)_. This means this is going to be a long story, if things go according to plan.  
~CWA**

* * *

**CHAPTER THIRTEEN: BLOODSTAINED LABYRINTH PART VIII**

* * *

**Day Three (Continued)**

Danny was the one who gave the bad news to Miss Igarashi, explaining with such sincere sympathy that it was unlikely that Suzuki was going to be found and if she was, it would likely be just a body. The older woman didn't take the news well, crying and sobbing into Danny's chest. Mai had never seen Danny look so broken up about something before. Hearing Danny say those words though just brought them all to the harsh reality that their job was a tough, dangerous one sometimes.

Currently, they were explaining to Naru what they had found- everything from the trail ending to the hidden room to their 'strange evidence.'

"A hidden room," Naru asked skeptically.

"Yep," Mai said, popping the 'p' with an easy grin.

"But that's not all," John added as he held up a bloodstained lab coat, "We also found this."

Naru came over to the coat, though Danny steered clear of it. To him, the stench of the blood was strong and being so close to it was almost sickening. He felt his stomach twist slightly and the brief image of his previous mother and father hunched over him with blood staining their own suits came to mind. He shook that image away as he tensed slightly, his hands shaking. Mai looked over at him briefly with a bit of concern, Masako and Ayako doing the same, noticing his change in demeanor. He gave them a reassuring smile, trying to let them know that he was alright.

"Read the tag," Monk stated as Naru got a bit closer, "Miyama Charity Hospital, the one founded by the first head of family."

"That would mean that this lab coat was issued by that hospital," Naru mused.

"But what would it be doing here in a hidden room?"

"I see something," Naru narrowed his eyes as he examined the coat closer.

He brought it over to the table and took something out from the pocket. The others gathered around closely as Naru unfolded the paper to reveal that some form of money.

"Wow that money looks really old," Mai mused, "It looks like there's something written on it."

"What does it say," Ayako questioned as Mai took the money to look closer.

"_Ura…ru…kyo…shi…mina…ha…rai..sho,"_ she pronounced slowly.

"What the hell is that? It doesn't make any sense," Ayako exclaimed.

"It's dirty, I can't read it in some places."

Both Naru and Danny looked at the paper closely themselves from beside Mai, reading it nearly perfectly. They both got thoughtful looks on their faces as they deciphered the meaning.

"Why would someone write on money," Monk questioned.

"Maybe whoever it was didn't have anything else to write on," John mused.

"Let's keep investigating," Naru finally stated, "But be sure to stay together…"

* * *

Mai and Lin were stuck together in the room, the others split off to investigate. Lin typed away at his computer, ignoring Mai's presence. _So here I am, having to stay and keep watch with Lin,_ Mai thought a bit irritated, _He's been in such a bad mood since yesterday. He hasn't said two words to me this whole time…_ She stood up,

"I'm going to get some tea, do you want any Lin?"

"No…Thank you," he said firmly, not even pausing from his typing.

"O-kay," Mai said hesitantly, "So what do you think happened to Suzuki?"

Lin continued to ignore her as he typed away at the computer, causing Mai to get a concerned look on her face.

"Why aren't you talking to me, Lin? I really didn't mean to do anything to offend you! I was just surprised that you were Chinese and I guess I just said it wrong or something because I think you're great and I didn't want to do anything that could hurt your feelings."

At that, Lin finally turned around. His black hair swept over one of his sharp brown eyes. The twenty-five year old's face showed no expression other than minor annoyance.

"I'm fine. I just hate the Japanese. Do you even know about what has happened historically? Do you know what they did to my country? You should pick up a book. Not to be rude, but I am not interested in befriending anyone who is Japanese. Especially those who don't know their history."

Mai bit her lip as her face heated up. _My heart is pounding so loud. I don't know what to do. I usually feel this way when I'm angry but this is different. I feel… sad…_ She clenched her fists as tears bristled at her eyes.

"It's not like I'm stupid about it. I know Japan did some terrible things, but hating people know for what happened then is… I don't know, but it just seems really wrong," her voice wavered, "Just think if everyone did that then the whole world would have to hate each other forever and it would be awful. We have to learn to forgive each other! I can understand if you don't like me because I'm annoying or something but I'd really wish you wouldn't hate me because I'm Japanese…"

Lin stared at her blankly a moment before chuckling, throwing her off guard as he gave a sly grin.

"Sorry, it's just someone said the same thing to me a long time ago… You just made me remember that."

"Oh," Mai muttered, "Was it Naru?"

"Oh no… When I told Naru, I'm pretty sure he's exact words were _'that's stupid.'"_

Mai gave a small smile and nod,

"That sounds like him," she said weakly.

Lin continued,

"I don't hate you, Mai and I'm sorry if I made you think I did, but my heritage is very important to me and I can't just get rid of my feelings… So will you forgive me for saying such hateful things?"

He stood up and bowed slightly, which she returned.

"Absolutely."

They didn't get a chance to speak anymore as the others of the SPR group, and Danny, walked into the room. Danny refused to meet anyone's eyes, still obviously torn up that he was unable to find Suzuki.

"Hey guys," Mai greeted, "Did you find anything?"

She didn't receive an answer as there was a tapping sound on the window. Danny looked over toward it curiously, as did everyone else, but he knew it wasn't a ghost. Though he had to admit, seeing a faint outline of someone knocking on it wasn't exactly a friendly picture. Mai and Ayako were quick to jump to each, exclaiming,

"G-GHOST!"

Despite the seriousness of the case, Danny couldn't help but laugh hysterically as the window opened. A woman with shoulder length hair that Danny didn't recognize entered, but apparently the others knew her as they all relaxed.

"Hi everyone," Madoka greeted cheerfully.

Naru felt his annoyance peak as the woman entered. They quickly ushered for her to take a seat, but she paused as she looked at Danny. She took in his tall lean, but muscular frame, strange hair and eyes, and rough appearance with stride as she thrust her hand toward him. He hesitantly reached out with his hand, allowing the woman to grasp it both of her hands, shaking it up and down cheerfully with a strong grip.

"Hello! I don't believe we met! I'm Madoka, Naru's teacher! I recognize you from your pictures, Mr. Fenton! It's a pleasure to meet you!"

Danny could almost feel his shoulder popping in and out of place at her strong handshake. He sent a weak look toward the others for help, but they all shook their heads.

"I-It's a pleasure to meet you too, Miss Madoka," Danny stuttered politely as he pried his hand out of her grip, "… A teacher of Naru's, huh? That must mean you have some dirt or stories on him?"

He gave her a sly grin, causing her to wink,

"Oh I'll be sure to share those embarrassing stories about Naru with you when I can!"

At that point, Naru stepped forward,

"Madoka," he snapped, "Why in the world did you show up here?"

Madoka took a seat by the table with a calm expression, not only minding Naru's harsh tone.

"I wanted to tell you what turned up in my investigation."

_Investigation,_ Danny wondered as he turned to Mai. Mai leaned in to whisper to him, informing him that Madoka was the one who got Naru on the case in the first place. He nodded in understanding and turned his attention back to the conversation.

"But you know it's dangerous here," Naru stressed, "What if something had happened to you?"

"I'd guess you'd just have to rescue me then! Let's start with Suzuki, the girl you called me about this morning… I questioned all the taxis and cubs and no one saw or picked up anyone with her description. Let's move onto the disappearance that happened two months ago. Apparently the boy was here having a party with several friends. They reported he staggered out of the room at one point and never came back…."

Madoka started to read off the papers she brought with her.

"…A week later there was an official search party and that's when the twenty-one year old man from the fire brigade disappeared…. As for the Miyamas, I'll start with Kaneyuki. The man was _meticulous._ Listen to this, an employee from his silk mill was embezzling money from the other workers. He was, understandably, fired. But Kaneyuki also fired the man's only son who worked at the mill as well as three other sons who were on staff at the hospital. The house that they all lived in as well as that of his daughter and son-in-law was actually rented to them by Kaneyuki and they were all evicted from the property."

"He threw them out," Mai cried, a bit raged.

"Yes. Apparently even the embezzler's parents were also employed by Kaneyuki on the grounds here and he told them to clear out too."

"Geesh," Ayako huffed, "Talk about through."

"Yeah," Madoka agreed, "The man became famous for it… Anyway, Kaneyuki wasn't a social guy. He insisted on hiring maids from outside the area. He was very adamant about keeping others away from the house. Over time, the locals became to suspect something fishy was happening. His son also tried to keep people away and people began to say some strange things."

"What kind of things," Danny asked.

"Whenever people asked him why he kept building onto the house the answer he always gave was that there were ghosts in there and he was doing it to keep the ghosts inside and keep them from getting out."

_Keep them from getting out,_ Mai wondered as Madoka handed Naru more sets of papers and envelopes.

"You'll find everyone's personal history in here, all nice and neat," Madoka said cheerfully, "Can I do anything else for you?"

"Yes," Naru said simply as he took the papers and envelopes, "I'd like you to investigate Miyama Charity Hospital."

"You go it," Madoka cheered as she started to leave, through the window just like she appeared, "Bye!"

Danny watched the woman leave before he glanced over to the stained old money that Naru was holding with a thoughtful expression. _Just how is this going to tie up? They're connected somehow… I can feel it… And if the guy was trying to keep the ghosts from getting out, at what cost was he willing to pay for it?_

* * *

Mai, Ayako, Masako and Danny all headed down the hallway together after their encounter with Madoka. _I wonder how Ellie is,_ Danny thought, _I hate being away for so long just for a single case, but this one is taking longer since I can't exactly look around as a ghost with so many people here… I hope she's okay. Are they feeding her enough at the daycare? Did her powers slip yet and they're waiting for me to return to explain it? Or is she keeping a good hold on her control as she plays with the other kids? _Ayako noticed Danny's thoughtful expression and nudged him slightly.

"Just what are you thinking about?"

Danny gave her a startled expression as if she surprised him, causing the other two girls to look at him curiously as well. He finally just gave a sheepish laugh.

"Nothing much, just wondering if my little sister is doing okay. I had to leave her at a daycare while I take this case and I don't like being away from her for long."

He scratched at the back of his neck nervously as the girls shared a similar look of appreciate and awe. _Wow,_ Mai thought, _Danny sure does care a lot about his little sister. Especially if he can think about her during a serious case. _They didn't have time to dwell on it, however, as they continued down the hall and bumped into the staff assistant of Mr. Minami. He had a bored vacant expression on his face and walked with a bit of a slouch. He stood in front of them in a boring manner.

"I'm sorry about this afternoon," he said, his voice coming out bland, referring to the events surrounding Mr. Davis, "I hope we can find Suzuki soon. Even though her trail had disappeared…"

He glanced briefly toward Danny, whose eyes were glazed over a bit as he got lost in his thoughts. He bowed his head toward everyone politely,

"Goodnight."

Mai watched as the man walked past them, heading down the hall by himself.

"Atsugi seems like an okay guy," Mai mused out loud, "I wonder what he's doing with a jerk like Minami."

"What's even more baffling," Masako chimed in, "Is why Naru would hire you as his assistant."

Masako, Ayako and Danny started to walk again, leaving Mai a bit behind them. Though Mai was quick to catch up.

"Hey! What do you mean by that!?"

Danny let out a laugh as he stopped briefly for Mai to catch up. He ruffled her hair in brotherly affection,

"Don't take it to heart, Mai, I'm sure Miss Masako is just messing with you."

She gave out a small huff. _Yeah well I wouldn't be too sure of that… _Danny just gave her a small smile and turned briefly toward Ayako and Masako,

"This is where I will leave you lovely ladies," he gave a playful bow, "I think it's time I retire into my own bedroom. Be sure to stay safe."

They both gave a small nod as Danny left them, but Mai noticed that no one told Danny to be safe as well. _I guess it's pretty obvious he can take care of himself,_ Mai mused, _but I think he needs someone… I mean, he admitted he was an orphan too and he has a little sister to take care of. That on top of being a ghost hunter, all by himself, it must be really lonely… _

* * *

_Mai stood alone in a place she didn't recognize. It all seemed empty space, as if she was nowhere at all. Yet it didn't seem to bother her, she felt a bit calm and she realized it must be another weird dream. However, she did see Atsugi walking ahead of her with a heavy slouch, a vacant expression. An unsettling feeling set in her stomach and she wasn't sure why, but she knew if he continued walking in that direction then something bad was going to happen. He was going to get hurt or worse. She cried out to him desperately. _

_"Hey," she called out, "Wait! You shouldn't go over there! Come back! If you go that way something bad is going to happen!"_


	15. Bloodstained Labyrinth Part IX

**Author Note: Please review! Roman numerals have been fixed (previously _'VIV' _is now correctly_ 'IX'_)  
~CWA**

* * *

**CHAPTER FOURTEEN: BLOODSTAINED LABYRINTH PART IX  
**

* * *

**Day Three (Continued)**

Naru and Lin were still unhappy with Danny's decision to sleep in his own bedroom, but they could do nothing about it as the man was not under their business. Naru felt his eye twitch as Danny headed toward the bedroom down the hall.

"It's stupid," he said simply, "You're bound to be the next victim if you keep going on your own like this."

Danny waved Naru's concern off,

"Trust me, I can take care of myself. I know how to handle all sorts of spirits."

He looked briefly over his shoulder at Naru with a twinkling in his eyes, suggesting he knew something that Shibuya didn't. Naru narrowed his eyes as Danny started to chuckle, continuing on his way down toward his room. As soon as Danny had disappeared, Naru entered his own bedroom with Lin by his side.

"Is there any progress," he asked bluntly, but Lin shook his head.

"No. Whatever technology Fenton used on this so-called Specter Deflector, it's something I'm not familiar with. By all means, it shouldn't work, yet when I used my own spirits, it deflected them perfectly. They were unable to touch the device. When I put the device on myself, I found that they were unable to touch me as well…"

Lin was not a powerful psychic like Naru and by no means had the same abilities as the younger man, however he was powerful in his own right. There was a reason Naru's parents had hired him to be his bodyguard. Along with being quite good at various martial arts, the man was experienced in _ekiki _(when you make a demon or spirit work for you) and as such had _shiki_ (the spirits in his service).

Naru picked up the Specter Deflector and examined it closely, noticing the faint green glow around it when it turned on.

"Interesting…"

* * *

Danny sat on his bed with in a criss-cross position, taking deep breaths as he tried to meditate. The meditation not only helped him feel a lot better, but in a way it refueled him in a way that sleep never could. His brows furrowed as his eyes clenched tightly. His grip on his knees tightened as he finally opened his eyes, breathing heavily.

_It's getting harder and harder to meditate in this place… It's just too negative… Crud, this is going to just screw me up… Might as well get some use from this…_ He got up off the bed and started to do push ups on the floor. The motions came easily to him and he did fifty of them with ease, not even working up a sweat.

_Maybe if I do this long enough I can wear myself out so I can get a bit of sleep._

* * *

Later that night, everyone was awoken up by Minami, who was in a panic frantically asking everyone if they had seen Atsugi. Mr. Ohashi had taken the liberty of joining everyone together in one of the main rooms to inform them of the situation. Thankfully, they were at least given time to dress… All except Danny who sat on the couch beside Mai, yawning in his sweats and a loose long sleeved t-shirt.

"I'm sorry," Mr. Ohashi said, gaining everyone's attention, "But no one has reported seeing Atsugi this evening."

"Shouldn't we take this as an opportunity," Miss Igarashi stated, "Perhaps Dr. Davis can use to his clairvoyance now? If not, I am sure Mr. Fenton can use his again…"

She briefly glanced toward Danny, who was now asleep snoring softly against one of the cushions. Mai resisted the urge to sigh at his antics. _I understand that he doesn't get much sleep, but isn't this ridiculous? _Though Naru glared briefly at the sleeping youth, assuming him to be unprofessional. He gave a look toward Mai- a silent order to wake him up. She nodded at Naru and then turned her attention to Danny. She nudged him with her elbow, causing him to mumble something in his sleep, but he didn't wake up.

"Danny," she hissed quietly as she nudged him again a bit harder.

He woke up that time, sitting up on the couch with his eyes opened. He looked toward Miss Igarashi and Mr. Ohashi, giving apologetic glances as he bowed his head,

"My apologies, without a chance to meditate these past few nights, my body is pretty worn out…"

Miss Igarashi gave him a curt nod before turning toward Mr. Minami with a fierce glare.

"It's pretty clear then that Mr. Fenton is in no condition to use his abilities. Why can't Mr. Davis use his now?"

Her voice was laced with venom and worry. Minami refused to meet the woman's gaze,

"Perhaps…"

"This is an emergency," she slammed her hands on the table as she stood up, "Two people are missing! Why can't Dr. Davis use his abilities unless what Mr. Fenton was implying was true and the man is a fake!"

Minami glanced away nervously, a bit of sweat dripping down his brow. Noticing the nervous expression, Miss Igarashi's own face softened as she felt her heart break. _Mister Fenton cannot help us in his condition and this man is not Oliver Davis, he's useless…_

"It is true then…He is an imposter…"

Minami stood up fiercely.

"Well I am not going to sit here and take this! To not only insult me but the honorable Oliver Davis! It's obvious now we'll just solve this case ourselves!"

He turned briefly toward the man with him, muttering a bit in English, before the man stood as well and the both of them left obviously in a huff. Mai huffed as well as she turned to the others. Ayako was the first to speak.

"There is something not right about that man."

"He doesn't really have proof about him being Dr. Oliver Davis," John chimed, "Aside from Minami's word."

"Yeah and he didn't use his clairvoyance again either," Mai offered with a huff.

Danny rolled his eyes slightly as he slouched into the couch with a small yawn.

"I told you guys, he's a fake. I could sense it from a mile away."

"What do you mean by that Danny," Mai asked curiously.

"Well," Danny straightened up a bit, "Part of my own abilities is like a sixth sense, I can tell when someone is a psychic, no matter how small their own powers may be, but the sense is stronger if they are powerful…"

Danny glanced briefly toward Naru and Lin, both who were looking at him through the corners of their eyes. _Yeah… And the only psychics I sense are Masako and Mai… But you set it off on another level… So the real question is, just how powerful of a psychic are you, Shibuya?_


	16. Bloodstained Labyrinth Part X

**Author Note: Thank you for the reviews, favorites and follows!  
~CWA**

* * *

**CHAPTER FIFTEEN: BLOODSTAINED LABYRINTH PART X**

* * *

**Day Four **

_It's been four days and the case is at a stand still. No one's seen Atsugi or Suzuki,_ Mai mused, _it seems we aren't really going anywhere any time soon. _She climbed up the stairs with the others- John, Yasuhara, Monk and even Danny. _At least Danny is pretty helpful. Without him, I don't know if we would have ever found that lab coat or hidden room. _

"Man," Mai exclaimed as the stairs got a bit steeper, "I don't think I'll ever get used to this house."

"Yeah who would have thought to do so much to just one house," Monk agreed as they continued climbing.

At one particular spot, Danny felt a small disturbance on the staircase. It was faint and he brushed it off as he continued walking. John, however, was the one to stop and call everyone back. A small door was half-way hidden in the wall along the staircase, blending well with the design on the wall itself.

"There's a door here," he pointed out as he knelt down to try to pry it open.

Danny gently pushed John away, muttering about how it would be easier if he tried. Sure enough, it didn't take long to pry the door open, it easily came off the hinges with Danny's strength (human strength that was as his ghostly strength wasn't needed). Dust came off the door and the frame, causing Mai to cough. It was a small staircase leading down into a room.

"Fantastic," Monk muttered as they all knelt down by the door, "Another hidden room."

Their flashlights lit up their way as they went into the small room, looking for any clues or signs that could be useful for the case. It wasn't long before Danny spotted something- a portrait showing a Japanese man with his black hair slicked back and a stern expression. Something about the painting caused Danny to feel a turning in his stomach, causing him to almost drop his flashlight.

"Are you okay Danny," John asked concerned.

Danny gave a small cough as a set of dust entered his lungs.

"Fine," he croaked, "This air's not too good for my lungs and frankly, this portrait is extremely creepy…"

"Well I have to agree with you on that," Monk nodded as he looked at the portrait, "I guess we better take this up to the others. I'm sure Naru will have something to say about it… Especially since it's pretty clear you can't speak, Danny."

Danny gave another cough, but as he wheezed more dust entered his system. He hit his chest with his fist a bit roughly as he hunched over. Yet he managed to gave Monk a crooked grin and a thumbs up,

"No arguments there," Danny wheezed, "I think Naru can explain this better than I can… But seriously can we just get out of there?"

Danny glanced toward the stairway and the others nodded, understanding that Danny's health was a big concern at the moment. Monk grabbed the picture, frame and all, very carefully as they exited the small room. As soon as they were out of there, Danny took one large, slow deep breath as Mai patted him on the back.

"How can you do all this investigating with your lungs in such a bad shape? Doesn't it take a toll on you," Mai asked in concern.

"I'm fine," Danny insisted as he let out another cough.

His breathing got a bit shallow and he stumbled to get his inhaler. _Curse them,_ Danny thought with venom, _curse them for doing this to me._ He took a long swift of the inhaler before breathing deeply with ease. Mai and the others gave him a concerned look, but let the subject drop. Danny felt his heart break as he knew he couldn't tell them the truth. How was one supposed to say that their parents are the cause for such lung trouble? _At least it's not too big of an issue,_ Danny waved it off. His lungs only gave him problems in certain conditions and was easily fixed with the inhaler, which not only had asthma medicine in it, but also had a small _ghostly _touch in it.

_I'm fine,_ Danny repeated, _I'm fine…_

* * *

It didn't take long for them all to join up with the rest of their group in their room. Naru was quick to get the painting and look at it for himself with a thoughtful expression.

"I wonder who we have here," Naru mused as he held up the portrait to get a good look at it.

"It says Meiji 32, self-portrait, Urado," Monk informed him.

Naru turned the painting over to look at the back of it, noticing the writing on the bottom right-hand corner. Like Monk had stated, it did say _Meiji 32, March- self portrait, Urado. _Danny put a finger to his chin in thought._ Urando… Urando… Why does that name sound so familiar?_ He felt a small tingle go down his spine, causing him to shiver, _whoever he is, he's not good news…_

"So who's Urado," Ayako questioned as she leaned up against the wall with her arms crossed.

"Since his portrait was hanging here in the mansion, it's likely that he was close to Mr. Miyama," John mused.

"Should we ask Mr. Ohashi," Yasuhara chimed, "See if he knows anything?"

Yasuhara didn't get an answer as something clicked in Naru's head. He muttered the name _Urando_ to himself as he put the portrait down and rushed over to the table, where he grabbed the stained old money from the lab coat they found. He looked a bit smug and proud as he put the paper on the table for the others to see as they gathered around. Mai looked a bit confused as she saw the writing on it.

"But I don't get it, wouldn't that be read as _Toura?"_

"Wait a second," Yasuhara exclaimed, "The bill is from the Meiji era too, right? They read it from right to left which means the writing would read like this, right?"

He grabbed a paper from the table and wrote something on it before showing it to the group. Since Japanese was not his first language, it took Danny a moment to read the writing, or at least the parts of the message that could be read on the bill. _Everyone- come-dead-here-heard-by Urado-away…_

"The first part," Monk mused, "Seems like it would be _Everyone who has come here is now dead, _I think."

_Dead,_ Mai thought, her eyes a bit wide. Danny noticed her expression and gave her a reassuring smile as Ayako spoke,

"I'm guessing the last part of it would be _run away_… Do you think this was meant to be a message to someone?"

"Well, it's likely to assume that _here _would be the house," Yasuhara chimed.

"Remember," Mai pointed out, "Kaneyuki wouldn't let anyone here."

"Maybe this Urando person did something really bad," John stated, "and Kaneyuki didn't want anyone to find out."

"That's a lot of trouble to go through," Ayako shook her head.

"Maybe Urando was holding him hostage," Danny added solemnly, "And when he tried to warn someone on the outside, the bill was the only thing he had to use to write on."

Danny stopped speaking as Masako started to whisper something to him. The two exchanged a few silent words, Danny nodding in agreement. Naru nodded his head.

"In any case, we have learned some interesting things today…"

"Don't forget," Danny continued, "The spirits at the séance spoke pretty clearly… I'm speaking for both Masako and I when I say it's pretty clear they are the spirits of those who came here and died in this house."

* * *

That night, the discussion haunted Mai as she laid in her bed. _Spirits of those who died here… But who did that lab coat belong to? Could it be the people went missing- Asugi and Suzuki…_ She didn't finish the thought she started to feel a pressure on her chest. Similar to Danny's experience at the séance, however as she struggled she found she couldn't even move and her throat felt closed. _Why can't I move… Why can't I speak…_ The door knob started to turn slightly, signaling that someone was entering… _Masako, Ayako, wake up… Please… What do I do… No… Stop…_

Two dark figures reached for her and took her out of bed. Her body hung limply in their arms as they started to take her away. Mai continued to protest in her mind as fear started to grip at her. _Let me go… Please… Let me go!_ They took her out of the room; the door shut seemingly on its own as they exited. Mai's breathing become shallow as she blacked out, unaware of what was going on, but knowing that it was nothing good.

When she opened her eyes, she was in a different room, still being held by the strange figures in what appeared to be lab coats, but the darkness concealed their features. In front of her, there was a roaring fire in the fireplace. _I don't recognize this room… Where am I? What's going on?_ A lone wine glass sat on the table, filled with a red substance she assumed to be wine._ Someone's here…_ Yet the figures just then continued to take her out of the room and out of the house. She closed her eyes tightly in fear, willing herself to move, as they dragged her through the garden.

_I have to be having one of those dreams again… Because if I'm not then… _They stopped in front of a single door. As it opened, the scent of blood filled her senses, fueling her fear as they dragged her up the staircase and down a hallway where a door stood. _No stop… I don't want to go into that room!_ The door opened and as they entered, Mai saw the horrific scene before her. An operation table stood in the middle of the room, it's straps undone as they hung limply toward the ground. Blood was scattered across the room and table, some of it was even in buckets. A rusted bathtub stood in the corner, filled partly with fresh blood.

_No… what is this?!_ Before she could dwell on it much farther, the men undressed her against her will and put her in a pure white kimono before they let her stand on her own in the middle of one of the piles of blood. _Why did they put me in a kimono? Noooo…_ They grabbed her by her hair and dragged her through the room, leaving bloody footprints as they walked. Mai felt the tears in her eyes. _No! What are you doing to me!? Stop!_ They shoved her harshly onto the table, causing a thin mark against the back of her neck where she hit it against the table's edge. Small trickles of blood fell from her wounded neck onto the floor in thick drops. Her eyes widened as she was forced to lean her back as they strapped her onto the table.

She could see the figures of men in lab coats in front of her as they put on gloves. One held a large knife in his hands._ No… This has to be a dream… I have to wake up…_ A croaking voice kept whispering through the room.

_"I don't want to die… I don't want to die…"_

The strange man pressed the knife against her throat, causing her eyes to widen in horror.

_No…_


	17. Bloodstained Labyrinth Part XI

**Author Note: Still a while to go before this case is done.  
~CWA**

* * *

**CHAPTER SIXTEEN: BLOODSTAINED LABYRINTH PART XI**

* * *

**Day Four (Continued)**

Mai woke up screaming in the middle of the night as if she were being murdered. She only snapped out of it as Ayako slapped her face gently. Her heart was pounding in her chest and her breathing was still shallow. Her eyes focused to see Ayako and Masako looming over with concerned expressions. Mai didn't even say anything as she flung herself into Ayako's arms, letting out sobs as the tears streamed down her face. _I was so scared… I thought I was going to die…_The woman rubbed Mai's back in a comforting manner. There was a pounding out the door as Monk and Danny's voices called out to be let in. Just as Masako was about to open the door, it burst open as Danny kicked it harshly, a fierce expression on his face. Danny, Monk, John and Yasuhara, all still in their own nightwear, ran in with concerned expressions. They saw Mai sobbing into Ayako's arms and their expressions showed the heartbreak they felt as they saw the younger girl cry.

"Is everything okay," Danny asked quietly, "Mai? What happened?"

"A dream," she whispered as she sniffled, "Actually more of a nightmare…"

"Was it one of _those_ dreams," Monk asked.

It didn't take a genius to figure out he meant psychic dreams, though Danny was a bit surprised as it clicked in his mind, not knowing that Mai's psychic abilities were connected to her dreams.

"Yeah," Mai's voice cracked, "I think so…"

"Can you tell us what happened," Yasuhara inquired.

Mai sat on the bed, hunched over bringing her knees to her chest, shaking slightly. Ayako sat on the edge of the bed, looking at Mai with concern and worry. Danny had a similar expression of concern as he stepped forward slightly, only stopping because it would inappropriate to hug her at the moment.

"I dreamt that I was being killed," Mai whispered, "Two men came in. They dragged me to a strange room covered with tiles… Then…They cut me… It felt like there was a thin trail of ice over my neck… Blood."

Her voice cracked and wavered as tears threatened to fall again. At that moment, both Danny and Monk stepped forward. Monk put a hand on her head in a comforting gesture as Danny put his hand on her shoulder with a sympathetic look. _Tiles… the lab,_ Danny briefly thought, the image of his own almost death coming to mind as his hand started to tremble, before finally he shook those images away, focusing on Mai.

"That's enough," Monk stated, "We don't want you to relive it…"

"You're back with us now," Danny comforted her, "We won't let anyone harm you- spirit or otherwise…"

Mai gave a shaky breath as the men stepped back, allowing Ayako to bring Mai back into her arms for comfort. The door opened as Naru and Lin walked in. Naru had a cup of hot tea in his hands, which he gave to Mai without a word. She smiled slightly as she drank the tea. _It smells so good…_

"Are you okay," Naru questioned, his face gave away no emotion, but Mai could tell he was concerned.

"I'll be fine," she smiled, "Thank you…"

* * *

**Day Five**

* * *

That morning, everyone ate together in the dining room at one of the tables. Danny sat beside Mai solemnly, not wanting to speak too much. After Mai describing her nightmare, his own nightmares were filled with memories of his own vivisections and torture. The only good thing to come from it was when he woke himself up, he was able to meditate which allowed him to be refueled after everything that has happened.

"I can't stop thinking about my nightmare," Mai whispered.

_Neither can I,_ Danny added mentally. While half of his night was filled with his nightmares, the other half was him scolding himself about not arriving sooner to keep her from having that dream. Even if it wasn't necessarily as harmful as actually living it, it could be just as traumatic.

"What does everyone think of this theory," Yasuhara mused, "we know there's a chance that Suzuki and Atsugi passed, could your dream be an accurate representation of what they suffered at the hands of this unknown killer?"

"A telepathic dream," John inquired.

"If that's the case then they've both been murdered," Ayako chimed in solemnly, "Right?"

"This may sound crazy," Monk mused, "But is there any chance the people working here are up to something?"

He glanced over to the side of the room where the workers were cleaning. The workers had their backs to the group, unaware of the conversation.

"Just look at the situation," Monk continued, "They've been working here for about a week and nothing's happened to them. Yet we've been here for what, three days? And already two people have disappeared."

"Now that you mention it," Danny considered, "No one directly associated with the house has disappeared… It's only been outsiders…"

"What about this," John added, "Is it possible the spirits prefer someone of a certain age? All of the staff members are older, yet everyone who has disappeared has been younger."

The reality of it set in as they started to go toward their room they've been working in to inform Naru of their deductions. Danny lingered in the back as he wasn't actually with the group directly, but Naru still gave him a nod of acknowledgement.

"Nice work," Naru stated, "Yasu, Mai, make sure you're never alone."

"What about Danny," Mai questioned, but Danny just crinkled his nose,

"Isn't it a bit proven that I can take care of myself? I've been walking around on my own for a while and nothing has happened to me."

"_Yet,"_ Naru added a bit harshly, "Despite your abilities as a psychic, you are still a target, which was even proven during the séance session when the spirit attacked you. Stick with us."

"I don't follow orders from you," Danny chimed a bit snidely, "And to be honest, I'm only sticking around to make sure none of you go missing, especially this one."

He patted Mai on the head with a laugh, but she just swatted at his hands a bit defensively. Naru gave a curt nod as he continued his orders,

"Priestess," he addressed Ayako, "How much faith can I put in you?"

"What do you mean by that?"

"It's dangerous here. Yasu can't defend himself. I need people I can rely on to protect him. To what extent can I count on you?"

"Just some warding magic," Ayako admitted.

"That's not good enough," Naru scowled, "Matsuzaki, Hara, you two are not to leave each other's side. Miss Hara, I know you focus mainly on being a medium, but you can at least protect yourself. Monk, John, you're to protect Yasu."

"Got it," the two nodded.

"And Danny," Naru continued, but Danny raised his hand.

"I thought I made it clear that I can protect myself just fine, thank you very much."

"To what extent," Naru questioned.

Despite his own suspicions of the psychic, Naru didn't want anyone else disappeared. Especially someone who proved to be a good ally as well as a friend (to Mai at least, though Danny was quickly growing on the others). Danny shrugged.

"To a large extent," he answered vaguely, "Seriously. I'll be fine… But if it makes you feel better I'll wear the Specter Deflector."

"The what," Masako questioned, unfamiliar with the term.

"Oh you guys weren't there for that talk, were you," Danny mused, "Well I created a device that keeps spirits from touching or possessing someone. There's not publicity on it yet since it's still in the beta testing stage, but so far it's worked pretty well even with powerful spirits. I have some extra in my room, actually. I didn't think to use them before on this case as I assumed everyone had the means to protect themselves… Obviously it was wrong of me to assume that."

He bowed his head briefly in a solemn manner before continuing,

"While I don't have many of them, there should be enough for Naru and Mai to wear one. I could wear one myself if it makes that narcissist feel more comfortable, but I'd rather it be worn by someone who doesn't have as much protection as I do…"

Naru nodded at his answer, as did everyone. Mai felt a bit relieved, having full trust in whatever Danny's invention was.

"Aside from that," Masako questioned, "Who will be protecting Mai?"

"Lin will," Naru answered instantly.

Lin, who was sitting at the table typing, paused and looked toward Naru harshly with a small glare. At least the eye that was visible was glaring as the other was covered by his bangs. He stood up,

"But Naru," his voice laced in concern, "Who will be looking after you?! You can't perform warding magic! No offense to Mr. Fenton's invention, of course."

_That's right,_ Mai wondered, _I always forget Naru isn't a spiritualist, he's a paranormal researcher. _

"No offense taken," Danny quipped, giving him a small wave.

"You need to have some protection," Lin continued, "I will protect you. Takigawa will protect Yasu and Father Brown will protect Mai."

Monk, Houshou Takigawa, nodded as John agreed as well, neither of them wanting to disappear with the man.

"Monk can't handle it alone," Naru said dismissively.

"Hey," Monk cried, "I'm not an amateur."

"I don't think you understand the danger here," Naru stated calmly.

"Then send one of them away," Lin argued, "I cannot allow you to be alone. If you were to come to harm on a job, how do you expect me to explain that to the Professor? Think of how your parents would feel about that!"

_The Professor, _Mai wondered, _Are Naru's parents professors?! _Danny, however, just made a mental note of the conversation for future use.

"Lin," Naru said firmly, "If you don't like how I work, then leave."

"You seem to forget," Lin retaliated, "My main objective is to protect you at all costs."

_Protect him,_ Mai wondered with shock. Similar expressions of shock went throughout the group, even Danny's eyes widened. _Is he Naru's bodyguard?! _The two glared at each other, either of them standing down. Yasuhara finally stepped forward, raising his hand.

"I volunteer," he stated, meaning he would be the one to leave.

_This is getting weirder and weirder,_ Danny thought absently.


	18. Bloodstained Labyrinth Part XII

**Author Note:  
Today's update is a bit earlier than usual due to me deciding that I have no need for a normal sleep schedule.  
I have lots of things planned for this story, but there's one problem. I have too many ideas as to what to do after they find out he's a half ghost (along with one or two ideas for fillers) and I can't do all of them! So please, _please _take the poll up on my profile to help me decide! Thank you!  
~CWA**

* * *

**CHAPTER SEVENTEEN: BLOODSTAINED LABYRINTH PART XII**

* * *

**Day Five (Continued)**

That night, they all gathered around in the room as they examined the floor plans that were made. Hopefully, it would allow them to have some clue as to where the room Mai had dreamed about would be. Everyone had copies of the blue prints in their hands as Lin flipped through them on the laptop. From Danny's suggestion, Mai wore a Specter Deflector for extra protection. However, due to not trusting the invention nor Danny, Naru refused to wear it and Danny himself didn't wear it as he believed Naru would have noticed that it wouldn't be on.

"The house is built higher at its center," Lin informed them, "The floors on the first level slope upward toward the center, leaving it two meters higher than the perimeter of the structure. Judging by the placements of the windows, it looks like the owner added rooms and increased the overall size from the center. That's about everything we know at this point."

"We still don't know what's inside the empty section," Naru stated.

"If it's a hidden room, it's gigantic," Monk whistled.

"But we searched all over," John pointed out, "There doesn't seem to be a way inside."

Danny mused to himself slightly and thought about the figure he saw in the garden. He snapped his fingers as it all clicked.

"What if the way inside doesn't really exist," he questioned cryptically, silently laughing at the resemblance toward Clockwork, "What if this area wasn't originally intended to be hidden? But it was sealed later. If it was built inside-out then that means it served a purpose at some point… I can't see why they would continue adding onto it unless they did want to hide it?"

"But why would they do that," Mai asked, "What could they be hiding?"

"We'll find out when we open the walls," Naru informed them.

A tapping from the window alerted them of visitors. As it opened, Madoka entered, following by Yasuhara,

"We have some information for you," Yasu said cheerfully.

"I thought I told you it was too dangerous to come here," Naru hissed.

"Don't worry about me," Yasu waved it off, "I came here to assistant Madoka."

"Besides," Madoka added, "It's safe outside the house. They even have a playground out there."

Danny thought briefly to his flight outside the house days before, a glimpse of a playground came to mind. He didn't think too much about it then, but since it seemed to be taken care of that meant that kids liked it._ Which makes the outside safe,_ he concluded, _that's weird._

"Really," Mai furrowed her brows skeptically, "A playground?"

"Yeah the backyard of this place is huge. Before these incidents started happening, the kids used the area for soccer, but none of those kids went missing. Proving the danger is only in the house."

"Oh," Yasuhara stated as he realized something, "I noticed something strange about the outside the house."

He reached into the bag he brought him, taking out a few pictures,

"It's the number of chimneys. When we investigated, we found eleven fireplaces, but there are twelve chimneys. And the twelfth chimney is round. It's made of brick and is thicker than the others."

"That's right above the hidden space," Monk pointed out.

"There is definitely something there," Naru nodded.

Mai froze for a brief moment as an image from her dream came to mind. _Blood,_ she thought horrified. Danny sensed something was amiss and tensed as well. Madoka, however, continued.

"We found something else on Kaneyuki as well. Apparently his health condition has been quite fragile ever since he was a child."

"When he was young," Yasu added, "He was told that the chances of him living a full life was slim. He traveled abroad for a second opinion from foreign doctors, but they all told him the same thing."

"Also," Madoka added, "After he moved here, Kaneyuki always had two employees with him at all times."

_Two,_ Mai thought horrified as she thought to the figures in her dream, the men that grabbed her. Her heart pounded in her chest.

"At the time," Yasuhara continued, "There was a room detached from the main house, the two were connected VIA a complex maze of hedges. The gardeners who maintained it stated that it was so creepy they often avoided it all together. They said that the room there had a putrid smell and that the staff was constantly changing."

Danny thought to the figure he saw a few days earlier when he took a trip around the house. _It wasn't leading me away from the house,_ Danny realized, _it was leading me to something… To that room… _It all clicked in his mind. The room was what Mai dreamed about, where the deaths happened. There must have been a secret passage to it in the hidden room that they _did_ manage to find earlier. He looked toward Mai. Mai was frozen as her heart continued to pound, the images of the maze from her dream went through her mind. She could almost smell the blood again as she clutched her arm tightly.

"Did you find anything else," Naru asked, "About the relationship between Kaneyuki and Urado?"

"Actually yes," Yasu pushed up his glasses, "Urado was often an assumed name he went by."

Equal looks of shock went through the group as Naru continued questioning Yasu about the information, but Danny was focused on Mai. She was hunched over slightly and breathing in at odd rates. _I don't want to hear anything else…I can't take it anymore…_ Danny could see the small figure of a spirit inside Mai, briefly possessing her. Yasu noticed Mai's attitude and turned to her,

"Mai? Are you okay?"

"Mai," Monk questioned as he stepped forward, but Danny held up his hand.

Masako gave him a small nod of approval, knowing what he was about to do, and he nodded back. He stood by Mai and spoke in a calming manner as he pressed his hand to her shoulder.

"Not her," Danny spoke, "She can't save you… Remember you're already dead… Now come out, don't be scared, just find the light and walk toward it. Find your peace."

There was a brief pause before Mai relaxed and stood up a bit straighter, back to her normal self. Danny nodded as she gave a small _thank you_. Masako stepped forward,

"When we started to talk about it, one of the spirits in this house possessed Mai. I believe it to be one of the staff members we just spoke about."

"She was the one," Mai admitted softly, tears bristling at her eyes, "She was the one killed in my dream last night."

"You saw the spirit's memories," Monk questioned softly.

"She must have been so scared… Being murdered like that…"

Mai started to sob slightly, causing Danny and Masako to comfort her as the others mused to themselves. Danny was just barely able to do so, but he supposed he helped as Mai's sobs softened. She thought to the papers that were written by Suzuki, all stating _help. Those really were voices of the spirits. _

"So the spirits of those killed are still wandering the house," Naru mused.

They didn't get a chance to speak more as the lights turned out. Rapping noises filled the room, causing it to shake a bit. Mai's eyes widened in fright. _I've never heard sounds like this before…_ Everyone could hear the faint screaming of spirits. Danny, however, was forced to let go of Mai as he covered his ears, hearing the screams of distress from all the voices. _So loud,_ Danny thought as it pierced his ears, _the screams of someone dying…I know it too well…_ He started to shake, though no one noticed as it was too dark to see.

"Naru," Mai called out.

"Don't move," he ordered.

Just like that, the ordeal came to an end as the lights flicked back on. All over the walls and ceiling words were written in thick red blood, dripping slightly. Most appeared to be names.

"What is this," Ayako muttered, "Blood?"

Danny was still hunched over slightly as his ears started to ring. John and the others quickly noticed his distress, but he waved them off as he stood up a bit straighter. He hit the side of his head with his hand. Despite the reassuring grin on his face, they could all see the tears bristling at his eyes. His hands were shaking, but he managed to get himself together.

"I'm fine, the screaming was just a lot louder to me. My psychic abilities are kind of more sensitive," Danny glanced toward the names on the walls, as he spoke his voice became a bit distant and quiet, "So many people were murdered at his hands…"

Reassured that Danny was alright, the others continued looking around the room. Mai spotted one familiar name, causing her to call out.

"Naru! Urado's name is on here too…"

"Over here too," Ayako called out, "And over there as well…"

The sound of footsteps alerted them that someone was quickly approaching. Madoka and Yasuhara took that as a sign to leave before they got caught, exiting through the window they came from with a quick goodbye. No sooner than the window was shut did the door open, revealing a distressed Mr. Ohashi.

"Is everyone all right," he looked around the room, "I see it happened in here as well… I'm not sure how it happened, but the strange writing just appeared on the walls, all over the house… It looks like _blood."_

"Just how many spirits are in this house," Ayako huffed.

"Too many," Danny answered solemnly, "No deserves to die like they did… Not at the hands of _a monster…"_

His voice was laced with hostility and venom that took them a bit off guard as he thought about his own similar experience with the _monsters_ he once called his parents. Naru knocked on the wall where _Urado _was written.

"This name seems to be more important than originally thought."

"Too much so to be an alias," Danny chimed.

Naru nodded, agreeing silently, as he turned to Masako.

"Miss Hara, do you feel like performing a séance tonight?"

"Yes of course," Masako bowed her head, but Mai stepped forward with a furious expression.

"Wait a second! You're talking about letting a spirit just possess Masako, right? You can't do that! What if she has to go through the same horror I did? Do you even know what's it like to feel like you're being murdered?! Do you know how frightening a painful death can be!?"

Naru got a dark look on his face, but didn't speak. Danny stepped forward with a solemn expression,

"It's not pleasant," Danny admitted honestly, his voice laced with sorrow and a bit of anger, "I know from past expressions… I have to agree with Mai. I can't allow Miss Masako or anyone else to open themselves to possession like that. It's traumatic."

Mai and the others looked a bit surprised at Danny's agreement, though it was reasonable to assume that since he was such a good spiritualist that he had been possessed like Mai was before. Though Mai gave Danny a sympathetic look, knowing that whatever experience he had with it couldn't have been pleasant. _He's stronger than I am,_ she noted, _if whatever happened to him scarred him this much then it had to have been worse than what happened to me…_ Danny refused to meet anyone's gaze as he looked toward the ground with a dark expression.

Naru let out a sigh,

"Fine. You leave me no other choice but to go other options. You want to take a shot, Lin?"

"Yes, I do," noticing Mai's concerned expression, Lin continued, "Don't worry. What I do is called shokon. I only summon spirits."

"What is shokon," John whispered.

Danny got a thoughtful expression on his face,

"It's a means of summoning spirits from Chinese wugu shamanism if I remember correctly… You need some specific information about the spirit you want to summon like a name and birth date."

"I can only summon Suzuki and Atsugi," Lin stated, "Assuming they are dead."

"Good. Lets go," Naru nodded.

Mai, however, was the last to leave the room, thinking about what she had said earlier. _I think I offended Naru… And maybe even Danny… They both seemed upset about what I said…_


	19. Bloodstained Labyrinth Part XIII

**Author Note: **

**Thanks to everyone who took the poll! Ten people voted so I closed the poll! These were the results! People were allowed to choose up to three choices hence the difference in numbers (only ten people took it but not all the results are going to add to ten)**

**SPR and group end up in the Ghost Zone (with or without Sam and/or Ellie) due to goofing around in Danny's lab- 6**

**Sam ends up pregnant (with Danny's child)- 6**

**Christmas in the Ghost Zone (Christmas truce party anyone?)- 6**

**Other enemies (excluding Vlad but including Skulker, Desiree, Vortex, etc.) join up together to fight Danny- 5**

**SPR and group end up in the Ghost Zone (with or without Sam and/or Ellie) due to a natural portal- 4**

**Dan Returns (this may or may not lead to SPR group in the Ghost Zone)- 1**

**So the first three are tied! I can't do all three, but I can do two of them as bonus chapters! It will be a while until we see it though, but I needed it so I can complete the outline! Thanks again!**

**~CWA **

* * *

**CHAPTER EIGHTEEN: BLOODSTAINED LABYRINTH PART XIII**

* * *

**Day Five (Continued)**

That night, they all gathered in a dark room. Lin had set up the required things needed such as some incense, candles, a shirt belonging to the spirit needed and other essentials. All of it laid perfectly on a circular table with Lin sitting by it in a criss-cross position on the floor. The others gathered around nearby. Danny had a forlorn look on his face, as did Naru. Mai was a bit tense, her hand around the Specter Deflector around her waist.

"What about the date of death," Lin questioned as he started to write something on a piece of paper inside the circle.

"The day after she disappeared," Naru answered, "That's my best guess."

Lin nodded and wrote it down, placing the paper on top of the shirt. He carefully lit the candles, lighting up the room. He took a deep breath and started to whistle faintly, causing a beautiful sound to fill the room. _Whoa is that Lin,_ Mai thought amazed as the beautiful note hit her ears. Danny's own hands twitched at the sound as he felt a bit of a pull toward the noise. Lin stopped, however, after just a brief moment. A candle flickered as a spirit appeared in front of the table, a few feet away. Her features were defined on her face and head, but her body seemed to be nothing but an outline of blue. Light came off her, flickering and she didn't seem to be solid. She was, by all definitions, a ghost. _Suzuki,_ Mai gasped slightly as Danny tensed.

"You are Naoko Suzuki, right," Naru asked.

The spirit didn't even turn to face them as she nodded her head.

"You are no longer of this world," Naru explained, "Are you aware of that?"

His statement got her attention. She turned to him with a shocked expression. _She doesn't realize that she's dead,_ Mai realized with a bit of horror. Danny gave the spirit a sympathetic look.

"Do you know why you died," Naru questioned.

Suzuki shook her head _'no'_, never vocally speaking. Danny doubted that she could, but whether it was because of the type of spirit she was or because she had her throat sliced like the woman in Mai's vision, he wasn't sure.

"Did anyone commit a vile act against you?"

She turned her head down with saddened eyes. Naru continued.

"I see. Was it Urado?"

At the mention of his name, she started to scream as she put her hands in her air, curling into a ball slightly. Mai and the others showed no indication of hearing her screams, but Danny was painfully aware that it was on a frequency only the dead could hear. He struggled to keep his face straight as he clenched his fists. His teeth grinded together slightly as she continued to scream. Though Naru continued with his questioning.

"You know him, don't you?"

She continued to scream, bringing a hand to her throat and pointing, but she vocalized no valid answer as she started to disappear. Her form started to flicker and it was obvious she was starting to get weak.

"Naru," Lin spoke, "We're out of time."

"One last question," Naru's tone was a bit harsh, "Can you tell me where you are now?"

Suzuki continued screaming with her hand to her throat as she pointed toward a wall behind her. Finally, she flickered out of existence. Danny visibly relaxed as the screams stopped and Naru turned on the lights. With the lights on, everyone could see where Suzuki had pointed to. On the wall, there was now a single word written on it in Japanese. _Vlad._ Danny tensed and his jaw twitched. For a brief moment, the image of a tall corrupt business man with white hair tied back in a ponytail came to mind. The image grew more corrupt as it changed into a ghostly figure with pointed black hair and fangs. His fists clenched as he took a deep calming breath. John looked at him questionably, a bit concerned.

"You okay," he whispered and Danny gave him a nod.

"Yeah, I… I once had an uncle by the that name, so I got kind of freaked…"

He gave a sheepish laugh, trying to brush it off. John gave him a bit of a hesitant smile, but let the subject drop.

"So," Monk mused, "I guess Urado's real name is Vlad."

"Urado is Vlad," Mai repeated, "So what? I don't get it?"

Danny stepped forward, glaring at the name written on the wall- the name of his arch nemesis. In this case, however, it was not Vlad _Masters_ he had to worry about. He put a hand on Mai's shoulder, his eyes never leaving the words on the wall.

"In this case, Vlad is referring to the vampire, Dracula."

"D-Dracula," Mai stuttered, "The guy who sucks people's blood? B-But does this mean Urado is sucking people's blood too?"

"Mai, relax," Naru snapped, "There is no such thing as blood sucking people. Vampires only exist in books."

_However,_ Naru thought, _it was inspired by a true story…_ Danny took a step forward as he mused.

"But," Danny cut in, "the story of Dracula by Bram Stoker in the eighteen hundreds was based off a real person. Vlad Tepes, or Vlad the Impaler, was the King of Wallacachia, now know as Romania during the fifteenth century."

"Correct," Naru nodded, a bit impressed that Danny deducted the same thing he did, "After defeating the Ottoman Turks, he as deemed a hero while being feared as the son of the dragon or child of the devil. Vlad's father was Vlad Dracul, the word Dracul had two definitions at that time- dragon and devil. The word Dracula means _child of Drakul _or _child of the devil._ To the people of Turkey, he was the Impaler Prince."

"Impaler," Mai whispered, "How come?"

"He had a brutal, meticulous nature," Danny's voice answered in a solemn tone, "His favorite method of killing his enemies was to impale them."

_Meticulous,_ Mai repeated in her mind as she thought back to what Madoka had said. _"Mr. Kaneyuki was a very meticulous person. He fired an entire family that worked for him when one was caught embezzling." _

"Vlad and Urado do have some similar traits," Monk mused.

"By the time Kaneyuki traveled abroad, Dracula had been published years before," Naru chimed, "I would find it out if he didn't know of it."

"Don't forget about the other person often confused for Dracula," Danny added, "Elizabeth Balthory, a Hungarian countess, was often associated with Vlad the Impaler."

"There are countless stories of Elizabeth being so obsessed with growing old that she would kill young woman to bathe in their blood, hoping it would restore her youth."

Mai's eyes widened as she recalled the rusty bathtub that was filled with blood. _Just like in my dream,_ she thought.

"Kaneyuki must have grown to hate his fragile body," Naru deducted, "Like Elizabeth he must have thought he could restore his body by bathing in the blood of young people…"

A somber aura went through the room as the reality situation really sat in. All of them could easily agree that it was messed up and insane, yet Danny had a thoughtful look on his features as he crossed his arms. _I wonder how another Vladimir is doing? _He winced slightly, _Hopefully not the same thing this guy did… And hopefully he's not bothering Sam either… _His fists clenched slightly as his heart yearned to be with her. Mai stepped forward.

"That would explain why the staff kept changing so often," Mai quietly added.

"I imagine so," Naru agreed.

Monk looked toward the bill that was laying on the table.

"At least now we can decipher what was written on the bill. _Everyone who has come here is dead. I heard they were killed by Urado. Run away."_

"So it was a warning," Ayako mused, "For the next person who came here."

"But wait," John asked confused, "The lab coat that the bill was found in belonged to the charity hospital. Why was it there?"

It didn't take long for the answer to come to them as they shared equal looks of shock, horror, anger and disgust. Danny clenched his jaw as he felt his core pulse and his fists were clenched tightly.

"All those innocent people seeking help," Danny growled, "He killed all of them…"

Mai showed her anger as well as she clenched her fists,

"No way, how can he kill all those people just to keep himself alive!?"

Danny thought back to a conversation he once had with Sam when they were fifteen. Most of the discussion was lost to him, but he could still recall the most important part.

_"Danny," Sam asked as she leaned her head on his shoulder, "Do you ever think because of your half-ghost status that you might live longer than the rest of us? I mean, ghosts are immortal, right? And you've seen Vlad, he's matured since college, I guess, but has he ever really aged that much?" _

He looked toward the ground with a downcast expression. He hated to think about it, but the possibility that he may outlive anyone (Sam included) was still there at the back of his mind.

"They say immortality always came with a curse," Danny whispered.

Mai looked at him questionably, but seeing how upset he was, she didn't pester him. Ayako turned to Monk,

"It's possible that his son, Hiroyui, knew what his father did here."

"Sure is," Monk continued, "And in order to hide his father's dark secrets he kept adding onto the mansion to seal them deep inside."

"But Kaneyuki died a long time ago, why would people still be disappearing," Mai questioned, "Also, what did Suzuki mean when she pointed to the wall?"

Naru nodded as he walked across the room, talking as he went.

"Kaneyuki didn't live a full life. He killed others in an attempt to extend his life, but he still died sooner than he wished…. Urado is still here, inside this house… And he's far from being finished with his sacrifices…"


	20. Bloodstained Labyrinth Part XIV

**Author Note: Almost done with this case so I can continue with the story all together (after all, I'm excited for what I have planned in the future).**

**~CWA**

* * *

**CHAPTER NINETEEN: BLOODSTAINED LABYRINTH PART XIV**

* * *

**Day Six**

The following day was spent tearing down the wall that Suzuki's spirit had pointed to. It was the very spot where the hidden space would be and where Yasuhara had pointed out an extra thick chimney. Danny, Monk, and John worked on the wall with picks, hitting it as hard as Ayako's flashlight lit them up, allowing everyone to see. The dark had created an eerie feeling, not only in the room they were currently in, but all around the house. With one final cry, Danny hit the wall hard, causing a lot of it to crumble and create a large gaping hole. _And to think, _Danny thought grimly, _I didn't even need to use my ghostly strength. _

Naru was the first to step through it, using his flashlight to guide him. The others quickly followed with flashlights of their own. As soon as Danny stepped into the hidden space, he was overcome with dust and the putrid smell of blood. He covered his mouth with his shirt, giving a thumbs up to the others to show that he was doing okay. Monk still gave him a concerned look, knowing that Danny's lungs were easily bothered. Mai stuck close to Danny, the small light of her belt signaled that it was indeed on, so he was careful to not let her get too close. Discretely, he whispered to her that it was okay to turn it off so she wouldn't run the battery out. She gave him a nod and with a small press of a button, the Specter Deflector was off, causing Danny to let out a sigh of relief as he didn't have to worry about accidentally getting zapped.

"Man, what is that smell," Monk complained as he covered his mouth and nose with his hand, but no one gave him an answer as they continued through the space.

It wasn't long before they found a single door, lit up by the light of Naru's flashlight. He grabbed the doorknob and opened it, only to come face to face with bricks.

"It's blocked," Naru spat.

The others looked around the room and examined that it wasn't the only thing blocked. All of the windows were also shut off with cement bricks behind their glass. John and Lin, however, discovered something more, causing them to let out a small gasp which drew everyone's attention.

"What is it," Monk asked concerned, but as he turned he could easily see what they were staring at.

As soon as the flashlights lit up what was inside the fireplace, they all let out a horrified gasp. Masako's hands shook with horror as she took a step back; Ayako stood beside her in a protective manner, but it was clear she was shaken as well. Mai brought her hand to her mouth in horror and buried her face into Danny's arm, letting out a small cry. He put one arm around her protectively, but his eyes were narrowed at the focus of everyone's attention.

* * *

As much as they didn't like it, they had to tell the others of the household what had been discovered. Everyone gathered in the large dining room where they had first met. As Naru retold the story along with what was found, everyone had looks of surprise on their faces. Mr. Ohashi was stunned, as was the others who remained at the mansion. Mai sat between Monk and Danny with her head down, biting at her lower lip. Danny was coughing slightly, but had no need to use his inhaler as he protected himself from most of the dust.

"…It's most likely the body of one of those who went missing two months ago." Naru concluded.

"That's terrible," Mr. Ohashi stood and bowed, "If you excuse me, I must inform the Prime Minister."

Mr. Ohashi quickly left, his shoes clicking against the wooden floor. Naru kept calm as he continued,

"With the discovery of this body there is little hope the others are still alive."

Miss Igarashi let out a horrified gasp.

"Are you saying that Suzuki is probably dead?"

"Yes, as is Atsugi."

"But the body was from two months ago," Miss Igarashi argued, "Isn't it possible s-she got lost?"

"The room was completely sealed from the outside. Unless human beings have gotten the ability to pass through objects, it's likely they were taken there from a rip in the space-time continuum. Do you have any idea how much power it would take to accomplish that?"

_Well,_ Danny thought, a bit amused at Naru's choice of words, _for half ghosts it's completely possible._ He thought of Clockwork, _and it actually does take a lot of power to get through space and time, but it is very possible… _Minami stood up harshly,

"I am not taking any more of this! We are leaving!"

He turned to leave, the _Oliver Davis_ impersonator quickly following behind him. Mai watched them leave with distaste and anger, _how can he just leave Atsugi like that! And that imposter is really no help at all either…_ Miss Igarashi wasn't giving up though. She grabbed _Oliver Davis_ by the arm, pleading with him to help search for Suzuki. However, it seemed to be too much for the man as he ripped away from her grip,

"I can't take this anymore! I am not who you think I am! It was all his idea!"

He pointed toward Minami, who was looking more and more nervous as he stuttered about how he had no idea what was going on. None of them were, of course, very surprised to hear that he was a fake, but they were a bit relieved that the truth was finally being revealed. Danny hid his smirk. _Oh I totally knew it- I knew this was all going to blow up in Minami's face… _He leaned back, relaxing into the couch.

"_My name is really Raymond Wall,_" the man continued in English, "_This man is fooling all of you! I'm sorry but I can't go with this charade any longer! Good day!"_

He stormed out of the room, Minami following after him angrily. Miss Igarashi took her seat at the table with a forlorn expression.

"I think it'd be best if you leave, ma'am," Naru addressed the woman, "We'll be leaving as well."

"Huh," Mai cried out as she went over toward Naru, "We're leaving too?! How come?!"

"Because," Naru snapped, "An exorcism is impossible…"

_True,_ Danny mused, _At least sort of true…_ He mused to himself, thinking how he could end the case quickly and efficiently. A small light bulb went off in his mind._ Urado is connected to the house,_ he realized, _if the house is gone, he's going to wither away and disappear. After all, he is trapped here. But for this house to disappear… a fire is needed… and I can't set the house on fire with so many people here… But I will need the police to dismantle it for good as well so we can find the bodies quickly. _

"What do you mean an exorcism is impossible," Mai continued to argue.

"Urado isn't because of an obsession or satisfying a grudge. He just wants to extend his life. I have no idea how he brings people through walls, but I do know he hunts because he searches for prey…. Ghost is no longer accurate for him. Demon, devil… That's that kind of monster he is."

"But Naru," Mai protested.

"I know how to hunt ghosts," Naru snapped, "But monsters lay in a different realm of which I'm not skilled."

_At least he knows his limits,_ Danny thought, _but this is far from over. Urado is a monster, but he's still a ghost. It's obvious he's not a ghost from the Zone, but he's still a ghost nonetheless._ Mai continued to glare at Naru as she argued, _but what about Suzuki and Atsugi, we can't just leave them if there's a chance they're still alive and if their dead we need to find the bodies so their families can have peace. _

"Unless," Naru added, "Someone here knows a sure-fire way to hunt monsters safely."

Danny coughed slightly as he shifted his weight in the chair, bringing everyone's attention to him. He stood up a bit shyly, a small blush on his face.

"I… I kind of do," he scratched at the back of his neck, "I dealt with _things_ similar to Urado before, some not as bad as him, some even worse. The Specter Deflector Mai wears protects people not just from ghosts, ya know? It's made to protect anyone from everything that is paranormal or supernatural…"

His expression turned grim as he faced toward Mai,

"But it's still very dangerous. I can't allow you or anyone else to join me in getting rid of him."

"You can't do it alone," Ayako argued, "What if you go missing too?"

Danny let out a small laugh,

"Trust me, I've dealt with things a lot worse than Urado. I can handle this alone."

Naru gave a curt nod,

"I can't tell you what to do or not to do, you're not a part of SPR. I can advice you, however, that doing this alone is stupid and foolish… Still, I wish you luck. We'll be leaving shortly."

"Don't worry," Danny waved it off, "I just have a few things I need to do first to keep Urado secured in this house for good and then have the police dismantle it safely. They'll find the bodies and without the house, Urado will wither away and disappear."

Danny nodded as well and Mai looked between Danny and Naru desperately hoping that there was some other way. Finally, she gave a sigh of defeat, realizing that there was nothing more that she could do.

* * *

It wasn't long after the 'meeting' that they all dispersed into their rooms to get packed as Danny put up a few different wards in certain areas of the house. Masako was the first to leave the room, however, as she had another spat with Mai. _I still can't believe it,_ Mai thought as she plopped down on the bed, _Masako is actually jealous of me- she thinks there's something going between Naru and I. _She giggled slightly, _yeah like that would ever happen. He does nothing but call me stupid at least three times a day. _She laid her hand on the belt, biting her lip slightly. _And I know Danny insisted for me to keep this for safety reasons, but I still feel kind of bad. It is his invention after all. I know he has others, but I still feel like I'm taking something that is rightfully his. _She sighed and looked toward the door. Masako was long gone and who-knew-where. _But maybe that's for the best. She doesn't like me._

Ayako walked in, having just showered yet again, with a small smile.

"Now that's better."

"Took you long enough," Mai chuckled, "You better hurry and pack."

"Yeah, I know," Ayako waved off, "But where's Masako?"

"Out in the hallway," Mai said casually, but as the words left her mouth, her eyes widened.

_The spirits prefer young people,_ John had said, _make sure you're never alone,_ Naru had stated, _Vlad,_ Suzuki had written on the wall. Mai jumped up from the bed, tears already bristling in her eyes, as she ran out into the hall desperately.

"Masako," she shouted as she looked around the hall, "Masako!?"

_She was just here,_ Mai thought sadly as she looked down the empty hall… _She's gone…_

* * *

Danny let out a frustrated sigh as he paced up and down the room. The others were gathered in the room as well, having all heard that Masako had disappeared. Mai was visibly upset as Ayako tried to comfort her. Yasuhara and Madako were in the room as well, having received notice that they were all going to leave soon, they wanted to come over to help dismantle the equipment.

"How could you just let her leave the room by herself," Naru asked harshly.

"I-I'm sorry," Mai whispered, her voice cracking.

"We need to search the hidden area," Naru ordered, "Can I rely on you all to do that as I search Miss Hara's bags?"

He didn't even wait for an answer as he strolled out of the room with a calm expression. Danny sighed again as he looked toward Mai with a concerned expression.

"Mai? You know it's not your fault," Danny whispered, causing her to look up.

"B-But it is," her voice cracked, "We had a small spat and she left the room… She never would've done that if it weren't for me."

Danny strolled over toward Mai and placed his hands on her shoulders, kneeling down on the ground to do so.

"Mai? Look at me," he spoke softly and gently like a big brother comforting a sister, "This is not your fault and no one here blames you, I can assure you of that. We will get her back and she will be safe…"

"B-But," Mai protested, though Danny refused to hear any of it.

"Listen, I'm going to tell you something someone once told me- everything happens for a reason," Danny's voice was firm, "We may not like it or understand it, but it does. And if everything does happen for a reason, then it would have happened eventually anyway… "

Mai nodded as she sniffled, wiping at her eyes. Danny stood up with a small grim smile as he ruffled her hair,

"Don't worry too much, kid."

_Kid,_ Mai thought, _I'm not that much younger than you._ She gave a small smile in amusement, causing the others to relax just a bit to see that she wasn't upset anymore. Monk and John gave Danny appreciative looks, which Danny acknowledged with a small nod.

"Let's get down there and get to work."

They all nodded as they emptied out of the room and headed toward the empty space. Mai and Ayako lingered in the back as Ayako continued to comfort her like a big sister or mother as they walked. Danny led the group with Lin following close behind him, his expression was a bit grim.

"Are you sure you want to do this," Lin spoke up, "You don't have the best lungs and you'll be no use if you can't even breath."

"I can handle it," Danny snapped, "I'm not just going to sit by and do nothing when someone is missing! I have my inhaler and I'll be fine…"

_I'll be fine,_ Danny repeated in his mind. The rest of the walk was silent, all of them anxious about Masako's whereabouts, but it didn't take long to reach the hidden space. The room itself turned out to be a bit larger than they originally thought and they searched it frantically for any signs of her.

Mai lingered in the background as she watched the others search. Her heart was pounding in her chest. She felt a bit better after Danny comforted her, but it didn't change the fact that she still blamed herself for it happening. _Naru's right, I am stupid, _she thought solemnly. She watched Danny with a careful eye though and noticed that the others did as well. Danny was hacking up a storm, but it didn't seem to stop his determination to keep looking. _Already he's used his inhaler twice,_ Mai thought, _that can't be good for him. _

Though as they continued to search, hope seemed bleak.

"We already lost half of the day," Monk announced, "And there's been no sign of her. Is there any place left to search?"

"Yes," Yasuhara answered as he pointed to a spot on the floor plan, "There's just one left. Here. We'll have to go through another wall though."

Danny didn't even complain, to himself or to others, about having to go through another wall. The action would kick up more dust and tire him even more, but it would be worth it if they would find Masako. Since he was so tired from the weakness of his lungs, he didn't have much energy left and not nearly enough to use his abilities to search for Masako. Thankfully, the others understood that he was doing all he could manage.

Mai slunk down onto the ground. _This is all my fault._ Ayako knelt down a bit with a small motherly smile,

"If you're tired, why don't you go ahead and rest?"

"Yeah… A nap might do me some good…"

She closed her eyes and started to drift off easily, tired from all of the day's events. Danny glanced over briefly where she slept before turning to Ayako.

"I know her dreams are sometimes telepathic," he explained, "But is that really necessary? I.. I don't know want her to relive anyone's deaths…"

He looked around a bit abashed. Monk placed a hand on the teen's shoulder.

"None of us do, but if she sleeps, it could give us something that could help find Masako."

"I still don't like it," Danny grumbled slightly.


	21. Bloodstained Labyrinth Part XV

**Author Note: The end of the _Bloodstained Labyrinth_ case!  
~CWA**

* * *

**CHAPTER TWENTY: BLOODSTAINED LABYRINTH PART XV**

* * *

**Day Six (Continued)**

_Mai stood alone in a dark hallway. Everywhere she looked she saw orbs of spirits. So many spirits,_ _she thought, are these the spirits of all the people who died?_ _A man appeared before her briefly. His dark hair and eyes were unmistakable and she didn't notice that there was a small different between the young man and her boss. Instead she assumed it to be Naru- the same one who had appeared in her dreams before and helped on previous cases. He rarely spoke to her, but he did enough to help._

_ Naru, Mai thought, have you seen Masako? She didn't need to speak out loud to know that he could hear her. Without saying a word, he pointed to a door nearby. Is she okay, Mai wondered, but there was no reply. As quickly as the man appeared, he was gone. Determined to help Masako, Mai headed toward the door, well aware that it wa the very one from her previous dream._

_She opened it with a small gulp as she tried to not let her fear show. As she expected, it was the very room the others had died in. The operation table sat there with its straps undone and the same rusty bathtub sat in a corner, yet it was not filled with blood. The tiles were dirty and old, but Mai easily walked across them. A small noise drew Mai's attention to the corner behind the operation table. The young woman was curled into a ball, her knees to her chest and her head down in her lap. _

_"Masako," Mai whispered as she ran toward the girl, "Are you okay?"_

_"Mai," Masako greeted softly as she looked up._

_"Thank goodness you're safe," Mai sighed in relief, "Are you hurt?"_

_Masako looked away briefly, refusing to meet Mai's eyes._

_"Naru was just here…He was right there… Comforting me… You should have seen him smiling, he was so handsome… Isn't that strange?"_

_"Not at all," Mai smiled as she shook her head. _

_Masako gave Mai a small smile back but it disappeared as she started to burst into tears. Sobbing quietly, she buried her face in her hands._

_"This is all a bad dream right? I just went through the most terrifying experience of my life," her voice was higher pitched and it wavered as she spoke, "I couldn't figure out if I was alive or dead…"_

_"You're still alive Masako," Mai protested, "You have to believe me… Here, take this."_

_Mai dug into her pockets and pulled out a small key, which Masako accepted hesitantly._

_"What's this?"_

"It's the key of the house I used to live in when I was very young," Mai replied, "After my dad passed away, my mom used it as a good luck charm and now I use it as my own. It's easier to believe in something when you're holding onto reality. You've very much alive, Masako, can you feel the key? You wouldn't be able to if this wasn't real. I want you to wait here and believe. We'll come get you."

_"Hurry back… please Mai," Masako said softly._

* * *

Mai woke up with a bit of a start, but found that she was still in the hidden space with the others, who were working on getting another wall down. She briefly noticed that Danny was still coughing as he held his shirt above his mouth, but even he paused to look over toward her.

"I had another one of my dreams," Mai announced, "Masako was in it! She was alive and safe."

"Really," Monk questioned.

"Yes," Mai said firmly, "And I made her a promise that we would save her and I will not let her down…"

Danny gave Mai a slightly proud look before he got back to work, coughing and wheezing as he went. Finally, he had to stop for a moment to use his inhaler. _I shouldn't be using it this often,_ Danny thought grimly, _But it's safe to use as many times as needed since my biology is different than that of a human plus it does have some ghostly medicines in it too… _Monk placed a hand on Danny's shoulder,

"You should take a break. We'll get through this wall, just go rest for a minute."

Danny looked hesitant, but eventually he gave a small sigh as he looked at Monk with a thankful smile. He retreated back toward Ayako and Mai. They both noticed that he was beginning to look a bit pale and his breathing was still a bit ragged, but after taking another breath from the inhaler, his breathing started to regulate. He sat down beside Mai, breathing slowly and deeply as he did so. She furrowed her brows at him in concern, but he waved her off.

"I'm fine," his voice was breathy and rough, "Really, I just hate dusty old places like this."

"I thought you said haunted mansions were your thing?"

"Yes, but a _clean_ haunted mansion," Danny admitted a bit sheepishly, causing Mai to smile slightly.

They both looked toward where the others were working. It took a long time before they were finally able to crack open the wall to get into another hidden section. It was large and very spacious with even a staircase that led to the ceiling. However, Danny was sure if the ceiling wasn't there, the stairs would lead to the first floor.

"I'm beginning to think this was the main building that Kaneyuki lived in," Naru announced, "Mai, do you recognize anything from your dreams?"

"There was a fireplace and a closet on the right side," Mai nodded as she searched, "…There. If we open the closet, there should be a passageway."

Her flight light lit up the door she spoke of. Danny was the first to walk over and open the door, revealing the passageway, allowing them all to go through. The passageway led them outside to a hedge maze, which brought them to another small section where there was a door. As soon as the door was open, Mai spotted a familiar staircase nearby and ran toward it. _She's up there, I know it._ She ignored the others calling out toward her and continued to run. Danny ran after her quickly, but his pace was slow due to all of his coughing and wheezing from earlier.

Mai continued running up the stairs until she spotted a familiar door, which she opened to reveal the same room from her dream. She slipped in the doorway due to wet tiles, but quickly got up as she spotted Masako.

"Masako," Mai called in relief.

"Mai," Masako greeted with a sigh, "You… You came to save me… But… Blood…"

_Blood,_ Mai thought in confusion, but as she pointed her flashlight down, she saw the blood that was soaking through her clothes. Farther inspection allowed her to see that the blood covered the entire floor as well the operation table. Blood dripped slowly down the table, circling it in a large puddle. Masako and Mai both had equal looks of terror._ Oh my god,_ Mai thought, _look how much there is… _She didn't even notice that Danny had now come into the room.

Danny could see everything clearly even without the use of his flashlight. He could see the operation table, soaked with so much blood, the floor, the bloody straps, and even the bathtub that sat in the corner was filled to the rim with fresh human blood. The smell was putrid and he crinkled his nose slightly as his stomach started to turn.

His drifted to the operation table. Maddie and Jack's voices screamed at him. His chest burned. Images of his past flooded to his mind as his heart pulsed quickly. His breathing turned hallow, but he felt warm. His face was growing hot as his fists tightened. _Get a grip, Fenton,_ Danny cursed at himself, _This isn't the lab. This isn't them. I need to get Mai and Masako out of here._ He felt another presence with them, one that was not only strong but very _evil. _

A dripping sound turned their attention toward the bathtub. The water started to ripple as Masako and Mai watched it in horror. Danny's eyes were still focused on the operation table as he struggled to get a grip on reality. Mai gasped slightly as a figure started to emerge through the bathtub. Its body was pale, bald, and slightly disfigured and covered in the blood of those it killed.

_"I don't want to die,"_ its voice croaked, _"I don't want to die…"_

_U-Urado,_ Mai realized with horror. Masako and Mai backed up against the wall as Urado started to walk slowly toward them. _We need to run,_ Mai thought, but she stood her ground and put her hands up in a gesture that Monk had taught her. Urado stared at them with wide eyes that seemed to glow as blood dripped down its his face.

_"Naumaku san manda bazaradan kan,"_ Mai chanted, _"Naumaku san manda bazaradan kan… Rin… Pyo… To… Sha… Kai…"_

Her chants had no effect on it, but she continued to chant as they were backed away into a corner. She couldn't complete it, however, as two pairs of hands grabbed her Masako from the wall. _His assistants,_ _I should have turned on the Specter Deflector, _Mai realized with horror as she let out a small scream. Her scream snapped Danny back to reality as he whipped his attention toward them. He ran over immediately and with ease, pulled both Mai and Masako out of their grips and away from Urado. The killer still made his way toward his prey, leaving bloody footprints as it walked. Danny stood in front of them protectively.

"Mai, the belt has two fittings on it. Make it bigger and wear with Masako then turn it on. _Now."_

Mai listened obediently as she took off the belt. Masako helped her quickly and they put on the device together, the belt being large enough to go around the both of them comfortably, before Mai turned it on. With a press of a button, the device lit up just as the ghostly hands reached from the walls to grab them. Mai and Masako closed their eyes, waiting to be grabbed, but when they felt nothing they opened them again to see that every time the hands touched them, they sizzled and retreated back. A bit more relaxed, they turned their attention to Danny, who stood his ground showing no fear in front of Urado. He let his power surge through him, the powerful aura pulsing. His eyes, for just a brief moment, seemed to glow eerily. He put his hands together in front of his chest.

_"Equites mortuis invocavi. Equites mortuis invocavi. Pugnabitis cum rege. Sic fiat."_

The others ran up to the room, hearing the commotion, but stopped in the doorway as they saw the scene unfold before them. Danny stood in front of the two girls as he gave off a powerful aura, he chanted in Latin and Naru vaguely recognized it to be similar to a protection spell he had heard used by Wiccans, though they usually chanted in English and he wasn't sure about all the words Danny was speaking. Masako and the others looked in awe as Danny thrust his hands out as he summoned spirits. Lin tensed slightly, recognizing the spirits to be similar to his own _shiki. _The spirits were in the forms of bright beams of light and they thrust through Urado as if he were nothing, causing him to scream and disappear. The _shiki_ disappeared through the walls as if they were never there.

"We have to get out of here now," Danny barked, "That was only meant to stun him!"

They didn't need to get told twice as they all ran out, Masako and Mai had little to no difficulty as they ran with the Specter Deflector around them. It didn't take long before everyone was outside and safe again. Masako and Mai both collapsed on the ground, tired and frightened. Though everyone was relived that they were safe.

"Daniel," Lin spoke, "I wasn't aware you had your own _shiki."_

Danny grimaced slightly, but figured that _shiki_ was probably the best term to use when referring to the knights of the dead._ At least the knights of the dead army in this dimension,_ Danny mentally added,_ because if I called upon the knights of the dead from the Zone, I think I would gave everyone a heart attack. At least these ghosts seem to understand and obey me as well… And the knights do whatever I wish… Huh, I guess that does make them shiki after all._

"I didn't think it was worth mentioning," Danny shrugged, "No one ever really asked either so… Mai, Masako are you okay?"

He turned toward them, eager to change the subject of the conversation. The two girls gave shaky thumbs up before they undid the Specter Deflector, turning it off as they did so. Mai hesitantly held it out to Danny, but he shook his head signaling for her to keep it. Monk looked at the belt with curiosity.

"Danny, why did you make it to go that big? I mean even with the both of them in it, there was easily room for a third person."

Danny's face flushed slightly as he rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly,

"Umm, my dad was a pretty big guy and he wanted to be the first to try it on so…"

"How big was he," Mai asked, curious about Danny's parents.

Danny laughed,

"Let's put it this way. I'm over six feet tall and my dad would _still_ tower a foot over me, not to mention how wide he was. Not with fat, mind you, he was just a big muscular guy."

He laughed again as the others shook their heads in amusement, relaxed now that the sun was starting to come up. Masako turned to Mai and handed her a key.

"Here, this is yours."

"No way," Mai muttered, "I thought I gave this to you in a dream!"

Monk looked at her amused,

"Past memories, clairvoyance and now astral projection, you're starting to become quite the package Mai."

The others laughed as well, creating a sense of ease after the danger. Though Naru and Lin both had thoughtful looks on their faces, recalling Danny's protection against Urado. They both knew that he did something _more _than just call _shiki_ to his aid. Lin could do that by just whistling, yet Danny had to use a chant and it was obvious he was doing some else as well due to the powerful aura he gave off.

_Just what did you do aside from call shiki,_ Naru wondered.

* * *

After all the 'excitement' died down, they were all able to confront Mr. Ohashi with their final statements as they stood outside the house. Danny had packed his bags as well, calling the case to a close and deciding that he didn't want to stay there any longer. Seeing the operation table and the blood had brought up too many bad memories. He needed to meditate and to do so peacefully, he had to get out of the house.

"I apologize Mr. Ohashi," Danny said formally as he bowed, "Shibuya and I both agree that it is best to leave as soon as possible as an exorcism is not possible. However, my professional opinion is to burn it, which will purify not only the land but get rid of Urado as well. I wish you the best of luck."

"I see," Mr. Ohashi mused before he finally bowed, "Thank you all for coming and for your professional opinions."

After one last formal goodbye, Mr. Ohashi returned inside the building as the rest of them took their leave. Danny started to put his bags and equipment into his vehicle- a large black Toyota station wagon, which Mai supposed was more for Ellie than for him. As soon as Danny, as well as the SPR group, had finished putting things away they faced each other. Monk, Yasuhara, and John exchanged their numbers with Danny, all of them excited to keep in contact. Masako and Ayako, however, stayed out of the exchange, but had grins of amusement on their faces. Finally, Danny turned to everyone.

Danny bowed politely to Naru as well as the others.

"It was a pleasure working with all of you and hope we have cases together in the future."

Danny gave a small chuckle as he stood up to ruffle Mai's hair,

"And I will see you later, Mai."

"See you later, Danny," Mai grinned, "Say hello to Ellie for us!"

"I will, promise."

With that, he got into the vehicle and then drove off with a goofy grin on his face. _And who knows? Maybe I'll have more cases with them in the future. I hope so, they're all pretty cool people. _


	22. Oliver Davis

**Author Note: After this, the next few chapters are a bit lighter to make up for the dark case of _Bloodstained Labyrinth- _I may not have written it as creepy as it actually was, but the episodes of it actually scared me a bit the first time I saw it (plus it was maybe one in the morning when I watched them). It is and always will be my favorite case in the anime (alongside _Silent Christmas). _  
~CWA**

* * *

**CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE: OLIVER DAVIS **

* * *

**Third Person**

A few weeks later, the newspaper had an article about the fire at the mansion which destroyed all of it. The article had little information about their investigation in it, but Danny suspected that everyone was alright with that. He ran a hand a through his hair with a sigh before continuing his typing on the computer. His office inside _Fenton Flames_ was a mess with many papers and case files thrown about along with random blueprints for inventions and pieces of inventions themselves. _I really need someone to clean this,_ Danny thought with disdain, knowing he wasn't the best at organizing. _Jazz was good at it,_ he thought with a small pang in his heart. He shook his head and continued to get to work.

Knowing his office was completely secure as far as security went (as he was the one in charge of security), he was perfectly free to use his powers. With a small flick of his wrist, he didn't even have to get up for the papers he needed came flying into his hands. _Telekinesis, best ghost power ever,_ Danny thought with a small smirk as he shuffled through the papers. _The good news is that I'm almost done. Then I can get Ellie and maybe even stop by SPR to check in on Mai and the others…_ He felt a bit guilty for all the research he had been doing, but it was necessary if he wanted to confirm his suspicions. His work kept him so occupied that Ellie stayed at the daycare until Mai picked her up. From there, Mai would watch the little six-year-old until Danny picked her up.

_Oliver Davis,_ Danny thought as he searched through his papers,_ I know who you are…_ He smirked to himself a bit. His research revealed a lot. Oliver Davis was Japanese and raised in an orphanage until the Davis' family adopted both him and his twin brother. Oliver Davis was now seventeen at the most, though he was very reserved and refused for people to see him directly. Despite that, he was in charge of his own psychic research center in England, which suspiciously had the initials SPR. His parents were paranormal researchers as well and he had a twin named Eugene, commonly called Gene, who had the same psychic abilities that Oliver himself had. However, Gene was often described as _'the perfect medium'_ and was said to be friendlier, kinder and gentler than Oliver. Unfortunately, Gene had passed away when visiting Japan, details were vague, but as far as Danny could understand he was run over. Though Oliver insisted to the police that through a psychic vision he saw his twin's death and that Gene was murdered having been run over by a woman in a red car and then his body was dumped into a lake. No one believed him. After his twin's death, the real Oliver Davis seemed to disappear off the maps.

Satisfied as he put the last file into a drawer, Danny stood up, grabbing and putting on his jacket as he left the room with a small smirk. All his research confirmed his suspicions. Kazuya Shibuya, also known as Naru, was none other than Oliver Davis.

* * *

Mai was working on making tea as Naru worked and Lin typed away at his computer. _All in all, everything's back to normal,_ Mai thought with a small smile, _though I do kind of miss working with Danny. I hope we get a case with him soon. Despite everything that happened, I think it was fun working with him and it's clear the others miss him too._ At that moment, the others walked in. John was first, followed by Monk and Ayako who were bickering, and finally Yasuhara and Masako. John's face showed how annoyed and tired he was of Monk and Ayako's bickering, but it quickly turned to amusement the more they argued. They all took their normal seats as Naru looked up at them with a small glare.

"Just what are all of you doing here," Naru snapped.

Monk turned to him with a cheeky grin,

"What? Just because there's no case doesn't mean we can't hang out."

"And here I thought you all had lives outside your work," Naru quipped dryly, causing Monk to huff as Mai giggled.

Masako giggled as well slightly, but Ayako seemed just as annoyed as Monk. John looked slightly amused at the exchange before he turned to Mai.

"Danny had called me saying that you're babysitting Ellie again? Do you need any help? Did he get another case?"

"No," Mai shook her head, "She's a handful, but I think I can handle it. Danny's just been very busy researching something that he doesn't think he can teach care of Ellie at the same time so whenever I'm free, I pick her up from the daycare and take care of her myself until Danny picks her up. It's a lot of fun actually."

She gave a grin, but the others seemed to be in thought.

"I wonder what he's researching," John mused, "Maybe research for another case?"

"Probably," Monk agreed, "or maybe research for his next book. Didn't you read that interview he had with that magazine? He said he's working on another one. Can't wait to read it."

"That's because you're a huge fan," Ayako rolled her eyes, but Monk ignored her.

"Regardless of what he is researching, it is his business," Naru cut in.

"Oh come on Naru," Mai complained, "Aren't you a little curious?"

Naru paused slightly, thinking about what to say. He hated to admit it, but he was curious about Daniel Fenton and his abilities. He, along with Lin, had researched everything they could about Daniel Fenton. Though the research didn't bring up much aside from the basics- the death of his parents in the fire and the '_inspiring'_ story of his ashes to riches as a Spiritualist. It included his abilities. Nothing was anything that Naru didn't already know, which was a bit frustrating until he finally came to conclusion that perhaps Danny was exactly who he said he was and did exactly what he said he did. _A genuine guy,_ Naru thought, _he really keeps little secrets. Even if his methods are unorthodox and strange. When it gets down to it, everything he has said is true and he gets the job done. That's all that matters._ He glanced briefly toward Mai, recalling the interactions between Danny and her. _And he truly thinks of her a little sister. Though something tells me his is just protective of anyone he meets. He was the only one of us to really talk to Suzuki to get to know her better. _

Instead, he just shook his head showing vague disinterest which disappointed the others. Mai sighed slightly as she set the tea cups, still steaming from the hot tea in them, on the table by Naru and Lin. Lin gave her a brief nod of thanks, but Naru went straight to drinking the tea without a single word. _Just one of these days I hope he burns his tongue,_ Mai thought with a small frown.

"You know," Yasuhara mused, "Danny actually was a pretty good guy. I wouldn't mind doing another case with him."

The door swung open. As a higher force had sensed their silent wishes, Danny Fenton walked in with a grin on his face. A small little girl sat on his shoulders with a big grin as well, waving to everyone.

"You know, it's considered rude to talk to people behind their backs."

"Danny," they greeted in surprise.

Danny grinned and gently took Ellie down from his shoulders. She eagerly went straight toward the new people with a big grin and wide excited eyes. She practically ran toward Ayako and Masako. Turning to Masako, she proudly stated that she saw her on TV. Masako gave an amused quiet laugh with a small blush as Danny gave an apologetic expression to everyone.

"I got a break from my research and after hearing so much about all of you, Ellie wanted to meet you too. So… Meet my little sister, Ellie Jasmine Fenton. Ellie…"

He had to whistle to get her attention, but the small girl was already on the couch right between Ayako and Masako with a cheeky grin as she looked to Danny. He pointed to each of them, stating their names, and the girl nodded along eagerly. Naru watched, a bit bored and annoyed, but slightly interested.

"Why the visit," Naru asked in a bored tone.

"I just wanted to check to make sure everyone was still alright," Danny shrugged, "I just finished some research I was working on, but sorry I seemed to have dropped out on all of you."

He rubbed the back of his neck nervously, guilty that he hadn't really talked to John, Monk or Yasuhara since their case together aside from_ 'can't talk I'm busy researching. Sorry'_ along with _'Mai's babysitting Ellie for me again. Hope she can handle it. I have a slight suspicion she had help last time.' _Naru sighed and looked over toward Ellie, who was looking up at him with wide eyes.

"Does she possess any psychic abilities like you?"

Danny gave a small smile,

"A bit, yes. She's still pretty young so I don't know which abilities she'll develop, but she's made it pretty clear that she can see ghosts. She even befriended this ghost pup back in America. I mean, I know it's not unusual for kids to see ghosts, but Ellie seems to sense them or get knowledge about them before any information is revealed… I'm pretty proud of her for handling it as well as she does though."

Danny gave a sheepish laugh as he rubbed at the back of his neck. They looked a bit stunned that the little girl was already showing signs of psychic abilities. Mai turned toward Ellie with a small smile. _Wow, if she's already showing signs of clairvoyance then she's going to make a pretty good medium or spiritualist someday… _


	23. Return Of The Sam

**Author Note: Thank you for all the reviews, favorites and follows!  
~CWA**

* * *

**CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO: RETURN OF THE SAM**

* * *

**Danny**

I couldn't help but smile as I watched Ellie play on the playground. It was already pretty late at night and the other kids, along with their parents, were long gone, but I didn't really care. She was having so much just playing by herself. I didn't even have to join in. Some would tell me that it was bad parenting, but honestly was it really so bad considering I was watching over her? Nothing was going to hurt her on my watch and if all else failed, she did have ghost powers to protect her. I glanced briefly to the white _shiki_ knights that were nearby, _and she has them to. Their number one order is to protect her. _

"Danny," Ellie called out as she ran toward me, "Come play with me!"

She tugged on my jacket, trying to get me to follow her. I gave a small laugh and followed her out to the swings. She sat down in the swing with a big grin on her face, looking toward me as she waited for me to push her. I gave her a grin,

"Okay, are you ready, Ellie?"

"Yep," she said, popping the 'p'.

I didn't need her to tell me twice as I started to push her on the swing gently, sending her through the air as she swung. She laughed as she swung, trying to kick her feet the way I taught her to. Eventually, I stopped pushing her as she swung on her own. I clapped happily, praising her for the feat.

"Look at you go, Ellie! You're doing so well!"

She didn't answer me as she continued to laugh that adorable little kid laugh. I smiled as I stepped back to watch her, prepared if she fell or decided to jump out of the swing. Sure enough, as the swing went into the air, Ellie decided to be brave like the little warrior she was and jumped out of the swing. I stretched my hand out, prepared to use my telekinesis to stop her and I noticed the _shiki_ were prepared to step in as well. A small blue wisp escaped my mouth and before they could do anything, they froze. I noticed Ellie had frozen mid-air as well. I sighed as I put my hand down to my side and just walked over to where Ellie was.

"You know, there are easier ways for us to talk, Clockwork," I clicked my tongue, "And I could have gotten to her in time."

The stopwatch ghost appeared beside me with his usual smirk. His eyes showed amusement, but I was still looking at Ellie. It was kind of weird to just see her _frozen_ there- mid-air with her hair flowing back and her arms flapping about, a huge smile plastered on her face.

"Of course," Clockwork said easily, "But I suspected that you would want to know who is also in this dimension.

_Who,_ I repeated,_ he said who, not what._ I froze as I turned to face him, my jaw clenching. _Please don't be Vlad. Not the Guys in White. Not Skulker. Any of those guys could screw everything up I have here. _

"Who," I asked harshly.

Clockwork didn't answer me, he just continued to look at me with amusement, and if I didn't know any better, I would say that he was watching something _behind_ me. Before I could turn around to see what he was looking at, someone jumped onto my back, wrapping their arms around my neck as they cried out.

"DANNY!"

I didn't have to turn around to know who it was. I was torn between shock, confusion and absolute happiness as the arms released me. I turned to face her. It was Sam- my beautiful, wonderful _Sam_. The seventeen-year-old girl was a bit shorter than me, being just under six feet (with her combat boots adding about two inches to her height of course). Her black hair cascaded to her shoulders in soft waves that suggested she hadn't straightened it. The black jeans she wore hugged her hips and waist and the black cropped top she wore was just like the one she wore when we were kids. Several piercings when were in her ears- three in the left, two in the right. A spider web tattoo was on her right shoulder along with two little bed sheet like ghosts (one was black with a white DP symbol and the other was white with a black outline and black eyes). Her violet eyes were looking at me with joy as tears bristled at her eyes.

She didn't have to say anything. She didn't get the change to as I scooped her up in my arms with one big kiss, tears bristling at my eyes as ell. _She's here. She's actually here._ _I haven't seen her almost two years. That's far too long._ As soon as we pulled our lips apart, I kept my hand on her cheek, using my thumb to wipe away her tears. She leaned into my touch and I smiled.

"You're just as beautiful as the last time I saw you," I whispered, "I missed you so much…"

"I missed you too, Danny," she whispered.

"I never want to leave you again," I swore, "But… what are you doing here of all places? Not that I'm complaining."

I gave a small uneasy laugh, causing her to laugh as well. We tore apart from each other just enough that it allowed her to wipe at her eyes, smearing a bit of her eyeliner. Clockwork watched us with a fatherly smile and I turned to him for the answer.

"Well?"

"She is needed here," Clockwork stated simply, "She has nothing for her in the other dimension. If she stayed there, it would lead to misery. Likewise, if she didn't come here, you would eventually grow distant and miserable… I suppose you two need each other."

He gave a small sly grin that caused us to blush. I put my hand around her waist and she put her head on my shoulder as we stood side by side, facing Clockwork. _Yeah, _I agreed, _I do need her. _I tightened my grip on her waist slightly, never taking my eyes off her. _She's here…she's actually here…_

"Tucker Foley," Clockwork continued, "Will be fine in the other dimension, make a life for himself, and in the future, become one of the most influential men in the world as a leading ghost hunter. He's needed there for the better good."

Clockwork stopped talking when he realized that Sam and I were too absorbed into each other's eyes to really talk to him. He sighed deeply,

"Samantha," he started, causing Sam to snap her attention to him.

"It's Sam," she corrected, but her voice held no harshness, "Just Sam."

Clockwork nodded,

"You have a new identity here as well. Samantha Anne Manson. Just like your real past, your records will say that your parents had passed in a car crash and your dear grandmother soon afterwards. You went to the same high school as Daniel and became interested in the paranormal field as well, but never assisted him on cases as you took care of Ellie back in America. Finally, now being legally independent, you came to Japan to join your fiancé."

_Fiancé,_ I thought as I froze. My heart pounded I my chest and I felt my whole body heat up. I turned to Sam with my mouth agape,

"F-Fiancé? D-Did you-?"

"N-No," she shook her head, "I- _what the hell Clockwork?"_

She turned toward him with a minor glare, a blush on her face, raising her fist in a threatening manner. Clockwork just raised his hands in a defensive gesture as he switched from an older version of himself to a child.

"Calm yourselves. Perhaps fiancé was too big of a word. The correct term would be that you are promised to each other. This is to keep suspicions down of her moving in with you. You are not officially engaged… Though that can change in the future…"

He gave us a sly wicked grin before he disappeared. _Why that sly little bastard,_ I thought, my face still hot, _someone he always makes me feel like a little kid getting teased on by their parents about a crush_. I turned to Sam and coughed awkwardly. It was kind of weird to have a ghost announce you were engaged. Sam looked annoyed, but her face was red as she put a hand to her face, waving the other at me,

"Just… Let's not mention this again, agreed?"

"Agreed…"

I sighed in relief, but then I noticed Ellie behind Sam… And Clockwork was gone which meant time had resumed. I quickly rushed over, barely managing to get there in time, but Ellie plopped down in my arms with a loud laugh. Sam watched us with amusement,

"I see nothing's changed since I've been gone… You still barely manage a child."

"I resent that remark."


	24. The Talk Of The Century

**Author Note: Yes Sam returns! I'm happy to have her back. To a certain Guest review, I promise I will try not to make Sam a Mary-Sue (I hate that term with a passion, but I know you mean a 'perfect' character- Sam is not perfect, even displayed in this chapter she shows a different side to herself).  
~CWA**

* * *

**CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE: THE TALK OF THE CENTURY**

* * *

**Danny**

Thankfully, Clockwork had let Sam bring over her things. Her bags were put into my bedroom, well I supposed it was our bedroom now, with plans of unpacking the clothes and sentimental items later.

Ellie was beyond thrilled that Sam had shown up again, more so when she learned that Sam was going to be living with us. She kept babbling about finally having a big sister, though once she slipped and said mother (quickly correcting herself) which caused a lot of awkwardness that I would never want to relive. After three hours of Ellie dragging Sam around as her playmate, the little girl finally feel asleep. I had carried her to her bedroom, tucker her in, tied her to the post gently so she wouldn't float off or turn intangible, and then joined Sam back in the living room.

The clock told me that it was already about one in the morning. Sam was sitting on the couch with her elbows on her knees as she hunched over in thought. With Ellie's contagious cheery attitude gone, we were left in the solemn silence, forced to deal with a serious conversation that needed to be said. I sat down beside Sam carefully and slowly,

"Sam?"

She didn't answer me. She just stared at the floor in thought and if I looked closely I could see tears bristling in her eyes. The sight of her crying made my heart stop. I wanted to just take her in my arms and let her know everything was going to be okay. Yet at the moment, I couldn't do that. She needed a bit of space to think before she could talk to me. I could understand that. I sighed deeply as I ran a hand through my hair as I waited for her to speak. It felt like it was forever before finally she spoke. Her voice came out soft and it wavered.

"Clockwork told me what happened Danny. He told me the truth… What your parents did to you… And I just… Why didn't I connect the dots? Why didn't I question it? Why didn't I go over and help… And… Danny, I'm so sorry…"

She sniffled slightly and I couldn't take it anymore. I gave her a large hug, pulling her into me as she sniffled into my chest.

"Shh Sammy," I whispered, "It's not your fault, okay? It's not anyone's fault, really. Sam, this… This all happened for a reason and I know I'm here for a reason. I get to help people, Sam, not just in one place like I did in Amity, but I get to see places I never thought I'd see before and sure the ghosts here are different, but I'm really helping people Sam. Not as Danny Phantom, but as Danny Fenton, as myself. I don't have to hide who I am, sure I can't exactly advertise my halfa status, but I don't have to hide everything. And people respect me as a ghost hunter and Spiritualist. I take out the bad, evil spirits here… The people I've saved, Sam… It's… It's amazing to help so many people, dead and alive… This is where I'm meant to be and if… If the vivisections… the torture… had to be done for me to come here, then I'm okay with that."

My voice cracked on the word _torture,_ but I had managed to finish my small little speech. Her cries were muffled and eventually they stopped all together. She pulled herself away from me slightly to look up at my face. Her cheeks were still stained with tears, but she was smiling faintly as she reached a hand up to my face.

"I'm glad you're doing so well here, Danny. I'm happy that you're helping people, but if you ever need to talk about it… I'm here, you know that right?"

I gulped thickly as tears started to fall down my face as well. I leaned into her touch. It felt like cold ice against my face. I closed my eyes briefly before I looked at her.

"Yeah… yeah, I know… And you know the same goes for you, you know that right? How you holdin' up?"

We both relaxed slightly as I playfully took her hand away from my face to hold it with a goofy grin on my face. Sam gave me a small smile,

"I know… And I'm doing okay… Good as I can be, I guess… I just kind of wish I wasn't always so stubborn we were in high school. I was so tough to them…"

She got a wistful look in her eyes as she continued,

"And Nana was my best friend. She… I just wish that she could have seen you again before she left. She was so happy when we got together. She's always been so supportive…"

She shook her head slightly before she looked at me with a big grin,

"Enough of the tough talk, tell me about your life here so far. Clockwork had said you found some new interesting friends? Not too interesting, I hope."

Her voice was laced with teasing, but I didn't take the bait as I laughed. Like that, all the tension between us was gone. We were back to being Sam and Danny, the couple of all couples.

"They're pretty cool," I laughed, "I have my own ghost hunting business here, ya know? _Fenton Flames-"_

"-Sometimes I think you take your puns too far."

I ignored her comment as I continued.

"-_Anyway_, my competition is Shibuya Psychic Research, SPR. The guy in charge is as old as me and a pretty good psychic. His name is Kazuya Shibuya and he's a cool ghost hunter and a pretty good physic. But let me tell you, he is as self-absorbed as any ghost I have ever faced by in Amity, but I know that behind all of it, he actually does care about people. With him is Lin, this twenty-something-year-old guy whose pretty quiet. Shibuya's assistant is Mai, an adorable sixteen-year-old who actually lives across the hall from us. She's like another little sister and she's nice enough to baby-sit Ellie when I'm on a case or if I can't watch her."

I took a breath to continue,

"I actually met her personally before I got wrapped up with SPR along with others. The others, by the way, are Ayako, John, Monk and Masako. Ayako is in her twenties and is a shrine priestess. John Brown, or rather Father Brown, is a Catholic priest specialized in exorcisms. He's actually Australian too. Monk's real name is Houshou Takigawa and he's a monk, but trust me he doesn't look like it. He's a bassist player too and claims that the whole monk thing is just a side-job. Masako Hara is a famous medium who has her own TV show, she's my age as well and I think she's interested in Naru?"

"-Naru," Sam questioned.

"Shibuya," I explained, "Mai calls him Naru the Narcissist, which suits him pretty well. I think she's secretly into Naru as well, but I can't really tell who Naru is interested in. If I had to guess, I think it's Mai…"

"And you used to be so oblivious to people's love lives," Sam laughed, "Just how did you meet everyone at SPR then? If they are your rival?"

Like that, I explained to her all about the case I had a few weeks ago at the mansion. I told her everything- from meeting them all to Urado to Vlad to Oliver Davis. I spoke about the Specter Deflectors and how I let Mai keep on and that spirits in this dimension are very different (and how they're different). I told her about using _shiki_ to protect Masako and Mai which I demonstrated for her and explained. Everything just poured from my mouth as I spoke about everyone and the experiences. I even told her about my lungs and how they gave me trouble and have given me trouble since the torture Jack and Maddie had inflicted on me. I even told her that Shibuya was actually the real Oliver Davis.

We talked for two hours. Sam listened patiently, occasionally throwing in her comments, but she was genuinely interested in everything, which brought a smile to my face. It was like we were all whole again. I was happy. _And I want this to just last forever…_


	25. Adjusting

**Author Note: Thanks for all the favorites, reviews and follows!  
~CWA**

* * *

**CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR: ADJUSTING**

* * *

**Third Person**

Danny spent the next few days sulking off in the corner of his office at _Fenton Flames._ He loved Sam, he really did, but was so much cleaning really necessary? He let out another whine as he carried more filing cases to the other side of the room. By now, papers, pictures, files and everything in between was all over the floor; there was so much of it that he couldn't even _see_ the floor beneath them. Ellie was happily making paper planes with blank sheets of paper, which did nothing to help with the mess.

"Quit your complaining," Sam snapped, "This is what you get for letting it get so messy."

"But can't I just use my powers," Danny whined, "And why aren't you helping?"

He set the filing case down with a small thud. All the work wasn't really tiring as Danny was strong enough without even using ghostly strength. However, the work was boring to say the least. Sam didn't help as she sat on his desk, clad with a skirt and thigh-highs in place of her jeans due to warmer weather. She crossed her legs and gave Danny an amused look.

"This is your mess, not mine. I'm supervising you and you need to learn to do things without your powers."

"I do things without using my powers," Danny grumbled, but he received a quick whack on the head from a pencil Sam threw at him, "That's dangerous, you know!?"

"I do now," she shrugged, "And the quicker you stop complaining, the quicker we can get this done. We still have a lot to do after this. You still have to work on a lab for _Fenton Flames."_

Danny grumbled slightly again. He recalled the metal-covered lab in the basement of the building. It worked well enough for a lab, but the ghost portal was a work in process. He never really put too much focus in it, building it in case he needed Sam to take the Specter (another work in process) into the Zone. As much as he hated to admit it, building the portal was also out of nostalgia as it gave off an odd sense of home and peace. However, the room was always covered with stray inventions, pieces of inventions, metal, gadgets, and blueprints.

"I already have a lab."

"You have half a lab," Sam corrected as an airplane sailed over her head.

Sam turned to Ellie with a small disapproving look, causing Ellie to quickly mutter an apology for almost hitting her head. Danny grumbled under his breath as he continued to work. _Okay I know my lab is messy, but it's still a lab. Better than nothing. _Moving filing case after filing case, Danny's complaining slowly started to drop. After all the cases were moved, he picked up Ellie, causing her to giggle, and set her on the desk beside Sam as he moved onto the papers on the ground. He knelt down on the floor. _Just how am I going to organize all of these? There's so many freaking papers! Why didn't I just clean before when I could use my powers!?_

Giving a sly glance toward Sam to make sure she wasn't watching, he started to use his telekinesis to move some of the papers causing them to sort themselves. He didn't get that much done as a boot hit him in the head.

"Ouch," he muttered as he sat up.

Sam's combat boot sat beside him, having been the object to hit him. He picked it up and mildly glared at Sam, who was now wearing just one shoe and giving him an innocent look.

"I told you no powers," she chimed, "Keep this up and you're just going to have things _taken away from you."_

Danny blinked at her obliviously before it finally clicked. _D-Does she mean what I think she m-means? B-but our relationship isn't even that sexual?!_ She winked suggestively at him, confirming his thoughts. His face heated up as he quickly tossed her the combat boot and went back to work. Ellie turned to Sam with wide innocent eyes.

"Does that mean you're going to ground him?"

"Among other things," Sam said vaguely as she patted Ellie on the head, "Don't you worry too much about it."

Ellie gave a laugh, causing both Sam and Danny to smile. He continued working, only occasionally getting scolded by Sam for using his powers. In the end, it took him two hours to get all the papers together, in order, and in their proper place. _I can actually see the floor. It's a miracle. _

"See that wasn't too hard, now was it," Sam praised as she jumped down from the desk, "Now you can go finish that lab."

"What about you and Ellie?"

Sam helped Ellie off the desk, the little girl giggling as her feet touched the ground. Sam grabbed Ellie's hand gently and started to leave,

"We are going shopping."

"Shopping," Danny repeated confused, "But I didn't think there's a lot we need?"

"Not shopping for you or for groceries," Sam said dryly, "I need some things for myself, including some new clothes and this little angel needs some new clothes too."

She was exiting the room with Ellie as her words registered with Danny.

"W-wait! She better not come back with pierced ears! Sam!"

"No promises!"

* * *

Sam held Ellie's hand as they made their way through the small mall. The two girls were grinning, having fun with their trip. Sam lovingly looked toward Ellie as the little girl felt her ears where the new piercing was. _She asked for it,_ Sam thought, _if Danny complains, he complains to her. It was her choice after all… But this is a lot of fun actually._ Sam hated shopping in the past, but it wasn't so much shopping that bothered as the human interactions. She briefly glanced toward the people around her as she walked with Ellie, noticing their judgmental glances. _Sometimes I really dislike people. _She shook her head and continued to walk.

They've already been shopping for over an hour, making it about one o'clock. Sam had several bags on her arms, filled with everything from clothes (both for her and Ellie) to bathroom supplies (razors, shampoos, body washes, shaving cream). It was almost time for their trip to come an end.

"Lunch," Ellie asked cutely as she looked up at Sam.

Seeing the girl's big innocent eyes looking at her made Sam's heart just melt.

"Of course, sweetie," she cooed, _if Danny ever hears how doting I am to her I don't think I'd ever hear the end of it. _

Sam led them through the sea of people toward the food plaza. Sam gripped Ellie's hand a bit tighter so they didn't get separated. However, it was a few seconds before Sam felt a lack of weight on her hand. Turning her head down, her eyes widened when she didn't see a small girl with her. She looked around frantically,

"Ellie," she called out a bit loudly, "Ellie! This isn't funny!"

_Oh no, oh no,_ Sam thought desperately as she started to search for the missing girl. _This isn't good. This is really not good. Please be safe, Ellie, _Sam prayed,_ please. _Her heart pounded in her chest as she moved through the crowd, calling Ellie's name as she did so. She received a few curious looks and a few meaner looks. She didn't care. What mattered at the moment was finding Ellie. _I have to find her._

When she finally got out of the crowd and away from everyone else, she scanned the area to the best of her ability in search of any small girl with black hair (easier said than done). Finally, she spotted the little girl a bit away talking animatedly to a girl about sixteen years old. Sam ran over as quickly as she could and scooped the girl into her arms.

"Ellie! I told you, you can't just run off like that! What if something happened to you!?"

She set the girl down and gave a mild scolding, causing the girl to bite her lip with a guilty expression. Of course Sam knew that the _shiki_ under Danny's control had orders to protect Ellie no matter what, which brought a bit of comfort, but it was the point of the matter. Ellie could not just run off like that and put herself into dangerous situations without thinking. _She's too much like her father, _Sam thought with a sigh before she blushed, realizing her mistake, _Danny. She's too much like Danny. Her big brother. I'm her big sister not her mother…_ Though the thought just caused her a bit of pain in her heart.

"Excuse me," the girl, whom Ellie was speaking to, spoke up, "Who are you? I didn't know Danny had any other baby sitters or caretakers."

The girl scrunched her face up in confusion. Sam looked at her, momentarily confused, before she realized who the girl had to be. _Mai. Danny spoke highly of her and she is pretty adorable._ Sam smiled politely, liking the girl instantly, as she grabbed Ellie's hand tightly.

"I'm sorry," Sam bowed her head respectfully, "I'm Sam and I'm actually Danny's..._girlfriend."_

_Best not to freak her out by saying fiance,_ Sam noted before continuing.

"He's busy working at _Fenton Flames _so I decided to take Ellie on a shopping trip. You must be Mai? Danny told me a lot about you and SPR."

Mai looked at Sam a bit shocked, taking in both her appearance and her words, before finally she grinned. _She looks like she would be Danny's girlfriend. They both have a punk, rougher appearance but are really kind. I wonder why Danny didn't mention her before and why haven't I seen her before? She seems really close with Ellie so her and Danny must have been dating for a while…_

"Yes," Mai confirmed as she bowed, "It's a pleasure to meet you. Are you new to Japan?"

"I am," Sam nodded slightly, "I just moved here from America, thankfully those Japanese classes in high school paid off."

She gave a smile as Mai giggled slightly to herself. Mai composed herself,

"How long have you known Danny?"

"We've known each other since we were kids, like six years old," Sam explained, "And best friends for just as long, but we just started dating about three or four years ago."'

_That's a really long time,_ Mai thought, _no wonder her and Ellie are close. I bet she's even closer to Danny._ Another thought entered Mai's mind, causing her to laugh. Sam raised an eyebrow and Mai tried to catch her breath.

"That must mean you have some interesting stories to tell…"

Sam gave Mai a sly smirk. _Oh I like her._ She linked her free arm, the one not holding Ellie's hand, through Mai and started to walk, nearly dragging Mai with her.

"Plenty of 'em… And I'll be _happy_ to share…"


	26. Right In The Jewels

**Author Note: The next case starts next chapter! Thanks for all the reviews, it really makes my day!  
~CWA**

* * *

**CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE: RIGHT IN THE JEWELS **

* * *

**Third Person**

Danny paced the floor of the bedroom with a panicked expression. Sam, however, didn't seem concerned as she watched him with an amused smile, sitting on their bed clad in nothing but her pajamas. Ellie was asleep in her own bedroom, but Sam briefly wondered if the sound of Danny's loud pacing may wake her. After their trip at the mall, which lasted about two hours since she met Mai, Sam and Ellie returned home to wait for Danny. He came, eventually, at about midnight, excited that his lab was actually clean and completed. After he babbled about the lab for about ten minutes, Sam told him about her trip to the mall, which ended up him knowing about her meeting with Mai… and the stories Sam told Mai…

"I still can't believe you told her," Danny whined, running his hands through his hair, "_Sam_ some stories are _sacred_. They are never repeated for a reason!"

"Oh hush," Sam rolled her eyes, "You're just a big drama queen. I only told her a _few_ stories… Like how you got banned from holding glass at the school for a whole month after breaking 37 beakers in the science room within a week, our break-in to the zoo for the purple-back gorilla, how you got beat by me in Doom, and that disco party we had once and you danced proudly in 1970s clothes… And never realized your fly was down."

"My fly was down," Danny muttered before shaking his head.

He plopped down on the bed beside Sam, wrapped his arm around her,

"I…I guess it's not so bad… But if she tells the others at SPR and I get a lot of crap from it, I'm blaming you."

"That's a fair deal," Sam said, a sly grin on her face, "and I must say, I'm liking your new look. The hair looks nice."

She ran her fingers through his hair, causing him to shiver. He tensed slightly before he got an idea. Danny smirked slightly and turned to Sam. Noticing the look in his eyes, Sam tried to squirm away from him,

"Danny? What's with that look?"

Without saying a thing, Danny flipped them over, landing on top of her on the bed with a predatory grin. He hovered over her, using his hands to prop himself up. Sam's smile had faltered and her face heated up. She could hear her heart pounding in her chest. _D-Danny?_ Before anything could happen, Danny dropped the predatory grin for a goofy one as he started to tickle her sides.

"Danny," Sam shrieked, "I'm going to hurt you!"

She squirmed, desperately trying to get away from him as he tickled her sides mercilessly. Acting on instinct, Sam's feet kicked and hit him where it hurt. He doubled over and off of Sam as he cradled his injured area. _At least she didn't have her combat boots on. I'd rather not experience that again. _

"Right in the family jewels," Danny wheezed.

Sam sat up on the bed, breathing heavily as she caught her breath.

"I-I warned you…"

"Please," Danny gasped, still in pain, "…Let's just get some sleep… Tomorrow I plan on training Ellie and I need to recover…Ugh this hurts…"

* * *

The next day, despite how sore he was from Sam's harsh kick to the groin, Danny took Ellie to _Fenton Flames_ to practice her ghostly abilities. Sam had finally stopped apologizing to Danny for kicking him since he made it clear that he forgave her. She sat on the desk inside his private office, kicking her feet slightly as she watched her two halfas in amusement. Danny was sitting on the ground in a criss-cross position, Ellie sitting beside him.

"Ellie," Danny spoke softly, "Place your hands on your knees like this."

He got into position, placing his hands on his knees in a relaxed position. She copied him easily and looked to him for further instruction.

"Now close your eyes and take deep slow breaths…"

They both closed their eyes and started to breath deeply and slowly. After a second, they both look peaceful and serene. It was almost calming for Sam herself to watch as she felt a warm, safe aura in the room coming off of them.

"Now," Danny spoke, "I want you to imagine a small fire in your mind, Ellie, this is going to be your core. If you can control your core, keep that fire calm, then you control your powers. When the fire gets big, your powers come out, but I want you to keep that fire down, okay? Just imagine it barely there, flickering slowly with your breathing."

The little girl nodded, barely understanding but she got the message. She took deep breaths and imagined a small fire in her mind. In her imagination, the fire was blue. It reminded her of Danny. It flickered softly with her breathing. Danny didn't have to imagine a fire. He just bluntly pictured a small ball of light to symbolize his core and he didn't have to use too much concentration to keep it under control. Yet Ellie's brows furrowed in concentration. The longer they stayed like that, the harder it was getting for her. Finally, the fire's flames got bigger and burst, causing her eyes to shoot open as she fell through the floor.

Danny acted quickly and grabbed Ellie's wrist. He easily held her up, keeping her from going all the way through the floor. Sam smiled in amusement at the sight of Ellie half-way through the ground.

"Did I do it wrong," Ellie asked with teary eyes.

"No, no, no," Danny quickly reassured her as he brought her back up, "You did very good. We just have to practice, okay? Controlling your powers will keep you safe and keep it a secret."

"But when will I learn new stuff," Ellie sniffled, "Like the things you do?"

Danny laughed slightly and patted her head affectionately.

"Let's start with controlling your powers first. Then we'll get onto new things…"

Ellie pouted, slightly disappointed. Sam grinned at the sight with a loving gaze.

_I really missed them…It's good to be back…_


	27. The Cursed House Part I

**Author Note: And another case from the anime, which will be split into parts like _Bloodstained Labyrinth, _just hopefully not as many parts.  
~CWA**

* * *

**CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX: THE CURSED HOUSE PART I**

* * *

**July: Day One**

The day at the apartment was like any other, Ellie was content playing with Sam as Sam glared daggers at Danny. Danny laughed, _sorry Sam, it's either you or me._ Ellie practically forced Sam to play with her, putting flowers in her hair and a tutu on her waist, proclaiming her the Flower Guardian. Sam was honored, of course, but she still disliked that Danny didn't have to join in on the embarrassment. She was almost sure that he took pictures of her when she wasn't looking.

"One of these days, Fenton," Sam threatened softly, "I am going to get you for this."

Overhearing her threat, Danny playfully went over and kissed Sam on her forehead,

"Good luck with that, dear, I'm untouchable."

He had a spring in his step as he playfully jumped away from her to avoid a swift kick from her combat boots. Sam glared at him while the phone on the coffee table rang, putting their argument on pause. Ellie entered the room carrying more hair bows, causing Sam to internally groan. Danny watched as Ellie put more hair bows in Sam's hair as he answered the phone.

"Hello you've reached Daniel Fenton, Spiritualist and owner of _Fenton Flames._"

"_Mr. Fenton,"_ Naru greeted coolly, "_I came across a case and it would helpful if you were to join us for it."_

"A case? What is it?"

"_A man by the name of Akifumi Yoshimi contacted me about concerns for his family regarding a recent attack on his five-year-old niece."_

Danny glanced briefly toward Ellie with a wistful look in his eyes. He hated when anyone got hurt, especially if it was kids. Ellie noticed and her eyes lit up as she wandered over to him with a lot of hair bows in her hands. Danny paled as he realized what was about to happen.

"Ellie," Danny spoke softly, taking the phone away from his lips, "I'm on the phone."

"I'll be quiet," she swore cutely causing Danny's heart to melt.

"Fine…"

He knelt down and continued to talk to Naru on the phone. Sam's laughter was loud as Danny's head became filled with various hair bows of various sizes. In the end, Danny decided to head over to SPR to check out the case. Ellie was disappointed and pouted as Danny took out the bows in his hair.

"I'll put them back in when I get back," Danny swore to her, "Swearsies."

They piny-promised, which caused Ellie to giggle and smile. Danny started to head out the door, figuring that if he was working with SPR, he wouldn't need his own equipment. _Besides most of what I use is in the station wagon anyway._ Just before he exited the apartment, he looked over his shoulder at Sam.

"Do you think you'll be okay? I promise I'll be back as soon as I can."

"I'll be fine," Sam waved off his concern as she gave him a quick kiss on the lips, "Just don't do anything stupid."

Danny gave her a goofy grin,

"No promises."

_I have to hurry. If I'm quick enough this gives me a chance to stop Mai from telling any of Sam's stories…_

* * *

The meeting with Sam at the mall still lingered in Mai's mind, causing her to giggle to herself. She knew she should be serious. After all, a client was going to be coming soon according to Naru and already Monk and Ayako were there. Yet she couldn't help it._ She was a nice girl,_ Mai mused, _different, but nice. She didn't seem to like a majority of people at the mall, but she really is pretty cool… And she told me plenty of stories about Danny I can use. _She recalled the stories again and giggled to herself. The stories Sam had told her didn't really seem like Danny. _Maybe that's what makes them so funny? Because it's so hard to picture him doing the things she told me about? I still can't believe they actually snuck into a zoo though…_

"Just what are you giggling about," Monk asked curiously, causing Ayako to look at Mai as well.

"Nothing," Mai waved it off, "It's nothing."

She set off into another fit of giggles, causing Ayako to lean forward from her spot on the chair.

"Obviously it's something if it's got you this giggly."

Mai shifted her weight slightly with a bit of discomfort before finally, she relaxed and smiled.

"I met someone yesterday at the mall who was pretty _interesting…"_

_That_ got Naru's attention and even Lin's as they both looked up at her curiously. A bubble of jealousy rose within Naru before he forced it back down like distasteful bile. A minor scowl went across his face. Even Monk and Ayako showed surprise before Monk recovered with a sly grin,

"Ohhh was it a male someone perhaps? A _crush?"_

Mai crinkled her nose before laughing,

"You got it all wrong, Monk! I ran into Ellie at the mall and with her was… Danny's girlfriend, Sam."

_Danny has a girlfriend,_ Monk wondered, _who would have thought? He runs a whole business and is always traveling, I wonder how he manages it. _Naru's jealousy left as quick as it came as he thought over the information given to him. _Interesting. He never mentioned anyone, which isn't so unusual, but it must be a serious relationship if this Sam woman is going shopping with his little sister. Such a serious relationship would usually be recorded in magazines, at least the paranormal gossip ones… Though I suppose that explains the faint girly laughter I heard when I was on the phone with him._

"I didn't know he had a girlfriend," Ayako mused, "I bet she wasn't as pretty as I am though…"

Mai choose not to address the later part of Ayako's statement as she answered.

"She was pretty nice actually, a bit different though and just as… _dark_ looking as Danny… She told me _lots_ of embarrassing stories about him though."

Monk and Ayako both laughed. Lin briefly chuckled quietly, but offered no comment. Naru hid his smirk behind his cup of tea as Monk patted Mai on the back.

"Oh man, you're going to have to tell us those stories!"

Mai opened her mouth, preparing to go into a detailed story that Sam told her involving a Purple-back Gorilla and a certain set of photos of Danny cuddling a certain someone, but before she could speak the door burst open, causing Mai to jump. Danny burst through the doorway, his eyes wide and frantic. His hair was messy and in different directions as his eyes scanned the room. His eyes set on Mai. He ran over and clamped his hand over Mai's mouth tightly, causing her to squirm.

"Please," he begged, "Please tell me you didn't tell any of Sam's stories to anyone!"

He looked at her wide hopeful eyes and Mai crinkled her nose as she shook her head _no._ Danny sighed in relief before glancing around at Monk, Ayako, Naru and Lin. All of whom looked at least mildly surprised to see him. He sheepishly took his hand away from Mai's mouth as he bowed to everyone,

"Sorry for so rudely bursting in… I'd just rather not have any stories repeated…"

* * *

A man sat on the couch inside Shibuya Physic Research; he was a possible client for a new case. Considering they haven't had a case in a while, they were all interested in what he had to say. He appeared to be somewhere in his mid-twenties with short red-brown hair and darker eyes that seemed nervous. He was pretty lanky and with him was a little girl. She was, at the most, maybe five years old. She looked adorable with her red hair pinned up with pink bows that matched her pink dress. Yet none of them had the heart to smile as she looked down to the ground with saddened, teary eyes.

Danny sat beside Naru on the couch across from the man as an equal. Mai still occasionally glanced at him with a giggle, which only caused Monk to want to hear the stories that much more. _They've got to be good stories if they're making Mai giggle like that,_ he thought almost giddy, _and since Danny is pretty reserved when it comes to his past, I'm curious to hear more about him… And his mysterious girlfriend… I wonder if they're serious? I suppose they have to be if Danny lets her take Ellie out on shopping trips. I don't think he's the type of guy to just trust anyone with Ellie. _

They gathered around to listen as Lin typed away at his computer. The man looked a bit saddened and anxious as he glanced between the little girl, Naru, and Danny.

"My name is Akifumi Yoshimi," the man finally spoke, "This is my niece, Hazuki. She's the one I told you about. Take a look."

He reached over and undid the pink ribbon around the girl's neck, revealing a thick red rope burn that caused them all to tense. Danny's fists tightened, the age of the girl was so close to Ellie's own age and to see something happen to a girl so young was unpleasant.

"We assumed it was some type of rash and took her to the hospital," Akifumi explained as he motioned for Hazuki to stand up.

The girl did as she was told and with Akifumi's help, she turned around. He undid the zipper on the back of her dress carefully, about halfway down, showing the red marks that went up and down her spine. Danny could easily see that the marks weren't actually marks but _letters._ _Some spirit actually wrote on her back,_ Danny thought with a small growl, _And it looks like it's scratched into her skin… It makes me sick…_ Everyone let out equal gasps of shock mixed with anger as they stared at the marks.

"It's an kaimyo," Ayako whispered the alternative name for the dead, causing Danny to tense slightly.

Monk stood up and read the words aloud for everyone to hear. The marks were written clearly on the girl's spine.

_"This foolish child is doomed to spend an eternity in hell,"_ he read, causing Mai to let out a horrified gasp.

"In hell," she whispered.

"Only a spirit with a serious grudge could do this," Monk pointed out.

_No shit Sherlock,_ Danny thought as he sighed deeply. He turned to Naru and they both shared a look. Getting the confirmation, Danny turned to Akifumi,

"We will be happy to help you in anyway that we can."

Akifumi let out a sigh of relief as he zipped up Hazuki's dress. He stood and bowed to everyone with slightly teary eyes.

"Thank you, I will be happy to escort you to the property as soon as you are able to come."

Naru nodded,

"That would be much appreciated…"


	28. The Cursed House Part II

**Author Note: Thank you for all the favorites, follows and reviews!  
~CWA**

* * *

**CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN: THE CURSED HOUSE PART II**

* * *

**Day One (Continued)**

The large house sat alone by the seaside on the very edge of a high cliff and a small sign above the door read _Yoshimi Inn_. It seemed, for the most part, to be a peaceful place. _Yet I guess that's not the case,_ Danny thought absently, _and I'm getting some pretty bad vibes from this place…_ He almost wished Masako was there to discuss the odd aura. _Something is definitely going on here._ Yet, both she and John couldn't make it to the case as they were needed elsewhere, leaving Danny with Lin, Naru, Mai, Monk and Ayako. Akifumi was the one to greet them at the house first and he quickly showed them a few rooms where they could stay overnight. As soon as all their equipment was loaded into the house and into the rooms, they all joined with the oldest members of the family.

All of them sat politely on the ground on small mats inside a small room. In front of them two people sat. One was an older gentleman and with him was an older woman. They bowed kindly to the people before them.

"My name is Taizo Yoshimi," the man spoke, "This is my wife, Hiroe. Welcome."

He cleared his throat slightly,

"First of all, I'd like to say I am very sorry for dragging you all the way out here for this."

"Oh it's no problem," Danny quickly chimed and the others muttered in agreement as well.

"If you don't mind," Naru cut in, "I'd very much like to go over the details of the case."

"Of course," Taizo spoke, "I'm afraid there's a bit of a curse on the Yoshimi family. Whenever there is a new head to the family, bad things seem to happen."

He glanced briefly at his wife and she continued for him,

"Thirty-two years ago, when my grandfather passed away, eight family members soon followed. When he first took over the land, five of my mother's siblings died. She was the only one who survived. Then my father died and almost immediately, those horrifying marks appeared on Hazuki," Hiroe's voice cracked slightly as she continued, "If his spirit caused this, its almost like he wants to behead his own granddaughter from beyond the grave."

Mai reached up and touched a hand to her neck. Danny tensed as well at the mention of a curse. He hated cases dealing with curses, they rarely ended well and were usually messy to clean up. _That's terrible,_ Mai thought, _who would want to do something like that?_ Naru nodded sternly,

"I see. We'd like to get to work as soon as possible."

"I understand," Taizo bowed his head, "But please, join us for dinner first. It would be our pleasure. You must be starved."

_I could eat,_ Danny thought, remembering that the last time he did so was just before Naru had called him. That was well over six hours ago and by now, he was practically famished. He stood up and then helped his wife up as well. They started to leave the room, gesturing for the others to follow them. They did so politely and were led out of the room toward the dining room. The table was long enough for many people and the plates had already been served. Taizo gestured for them to sit around the table and Danny was slightly amazed that there was even enough room for everyone considering the rest of the Yoshimi family was there as well. There was almost too many heads for Danny to count.

"I'd like you to meet, Hazuki's father, Kazuyasu, also the oldest son. Next to him is the second oldest son, Yashitaka. Then there is Eijiro, husband to the oldest daughter, Teruka. Then there's also Kazuyasu's wife Yoko, the second oldest daughter is Nao, whose only a bit older than Akifumi."

Taizo bowed to his family before gesturing toward the SPR group,

"And these are the Spiritualists from Shibuya Psychic Research, Kazuya Shibuya, his assistants, Lin and Mai. With them are Houshou Takigawa and Ayako along with the esteemed Daniel Fenton."

They all bowed to the family, but Danny bowed slightly deeper than the others to pay the proper respect since he could see that there were a few that disapproved of him (or the Spiritualist group as whole, but their hated gazes seemed to linger on him or Lin). They all took their seats and started to eat eagerly. Mai gave Danny a slightly disgusted look as he practically inhaled his food without even stopping to breath, but he ignored her. Monk finally just elbowed Danny harshly.

"Slow down," he whispered, "That's rude."

Danny swallowed the food in his mouth and nodded, signaling he understood, before continuing his meal more slowly. As he ate, it was hard to not notice the thick tension in the air that seemed to settle in silence. No one spoke a word for the first twenty minutes of the diner before finally Eijiro slammed his fist on the table in frustration.

"What are these people doing here, anyway," he screeched, "And why aren't you telling them the full story!?"

Teruka placed a comforting hand on his arm,

"Please not in front of the guests," she spoke softly, but Eijiro continued,

"It's for their own safety! It's irresponsible not to tell them! The family members weren't the only ones who died thirty-two years ago!"

The statement got their attention as they all looked up from their plates, though Danny still tried to sneak in a few bites until Monk elbowed him again to stop. The family refused to meet anyone's eyes as they looked away toward the ground.

"What do you mean," Naru asked coolly.

A silence was his answer and the tension in the air grew thicker. _Man all this attention is so suffocating, I think I need my inhaler,_ Danny thought before almost laughing at his own joke. Taizo finally spoke up, quietly to his wife.

"I think we should tell them the whole story. I know these people are our last hope and this may make them leave, but they have a right to know."

His wife nodded and turned to the guests,

"What we haven't told you is… Three people outside the family also died. All three of them were Spiritualists like you…"


	29. The Cursed House Part III

**Author Note: **

**Reply to goodgirl275- **I'm glad you enjoy the fic and chapters! I'm flattered that you also enjoy my writing itself. I do my chapters usually about 1000 or so words (sometimes it may be about 2000+) and this is so I can update daily and because I enjoy leaving cliffhangers.

**I sometimes reply to reviews VIA PM, but most of the time I do it as an author's note because it may answer questions that others have but don't have the courage to ask. **

**~CWA**

* * *

**CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT: THE CURSED HOUSE PART III**

* * *

**Day One (Continued)**

After the tense diner and revelation that it was other Spiritualists that had died, they all gathered in the room they were given to regroup. Lin had went to his computer straight away to document everything as Naru just looked deep in thought. The only ones who didn't seem that bothered were Monk and Danny as they calmly leaned against the wall in casual conversation.

"-You know," Monk said, slyly grinning, "Mai told us she met your girlfriend the other day…"

Danny's face heated up as the others turned their attention to the conversation, curious about what Danny had to say on the matter. Danny rubbed the back of his neck nervously,

"Y-Yeah? And?"

"And," Monk continued, "Why didn't we hear about her? How long have you been seeing each other? How serious is it? Does she get along with Ellie?"

Monk babbled question after question, getting closer and closer to Danny like an interrogator questioning a suspect. The look in Monk's eyes certainly matched that of a suspicious detective. _Holy crap,_ Danny thought, _he looks just like an older brother scolding the younger sibling who caught stealing the last cookie._ Danny pulled at his shirt collar nervously as his face got hot with embarrassment. Ayako and Mai both looked at the conversation with amusement. Lin stopped in his typing to look over at the exchange, just as curious about the girlfriend of Danny Fenton.

"U-Ummm," Danny stuttered, "I didn't think to mention her? Her name's Samantha but calling her by her full name is a good way to kicked by a combat boot. Trust me it hurts. She's been my best friend since we were six years old, but we've been dating for about almost four years. We've been in a long-distance relationship since I moved from England and then from England to here. Ellie adores her and Sam adores her too. She moved here from America because she needed the support since her parents just passed away not that long ago… W-We're actually pretty serious."

Danny coughed, a bit uncomfortable with the conversation, as he recalled what Clockwork told him.

"W-We're kind of promised to each other and kind of live together? It's… Uhhh can we talk about something else… _Please?"_

Monk's eyes widened as he backtracked a bit away from Danny in shock. Mai looked surprised as well, not realizing how serious his relationship with Sam was. Lin narrowed his eyes a bit, not entirely accepting of such a serious relationship at a young age. Ayako started to laugh a bit to herself. As soon as the shock wore off, Monk threw his arm around Danny's shoulder, pulling him close in a side-hug.

"Oh no," Monk shook his head, "You're not getting out the conversation that easily… It seems you're pretty serious about her, right? Which means I have to have a certain talk with you as your uncle figure now…"

Danny's red face quickly turned as pale as a sheet. Mai and Ayako stifled their giggles and even Naru looked vaguely amused. Danny quickly pulled away from Monk, shaking his head,

"Oh _no, no, no,_ I already had _that_ conversation thank you very much and I'd rather not relive that horror…"

"Are you sure," Monk prodded, "I could tell you some things that could be helpful."

He wiggled his eyes suggestively, but Danny just backed away farther. Mai continued to laugh, but Ayako just smirked.

"Like what," Ayako huffed, "How to stay awake?"

Monk's amusement was quickly replaced with annoyance as he turned to Ayako.

"Like you actually know anything helpful!"

"Oh I know plenty!"

The two started to bicker back and forth as Danny tried to fade into the background. He turned to Mai, his face still pale from horror,

"…Are they actually arguing about who's going to give me advice on my sex life?"

"Yep."

* * *

Thankfully, Monk's and Ayako's argument didn't last that long when Danny made it _perfectly_ clear that he didn't need any advice in _any_ areas. Naru sighed in annoyance as he was, once again, the only one to focus. He put up one of the lasts of the cameras as Lin finished setting up the rest of the computers. Mai was still laughing at Danny, but Danny didn't find it nearly as hilarious as he prayed that Sam would never hear about the conversation. If she did, then he'd never hear the end of it.

Their attention was drawn to the door as it opened. Akifumi, the client who had approached them with the case, walked in with a sorrowful expression on his face.

"I hope that you all decide to stay after what happened…"

Danny stepped forward, eager to talk to someone who was unaware of the conversation that had just transpired.

"Don't worry, I can assure you that we are still staying on the case."

Akifumi gave them a thankful expression that was so sincere it nearly broke their hearts.

"I am glad you are deciding to stay. We went to other Spiritualists, but as soon as they found out the whole truth, they left…. I'm sorry about my brother Eijiro, he's usually not like that. Actually," he got a thoughtful look on his face, "I've never seen him behave that way before."

"Are you saying it's odd for him to behave so coarsely in front of the guests?"

"Well yeah, we do run a hotel… And Kazuyasu has just been on edge lately. For that matter, so has Yashi. Since the funeral, they've had a hard time."

"What about everyone else? Has anything strange happened?"

"Actually, yeah. After the funeral, three of our dogs suddenly went missing. Then a few days, their bodies were found dead on the beach. Yoko hasn't been the same since. But to tell you the truth, I think it's the children who have been acting the strangest lately."

"You mean Hazuki?"

"Oh no, there's more children than Hazuki. She has a brother named Katsuki and Teruka has a girl named Wakako. Katsuki and Wakako have been acting strange lately… They've been sticking unusually close together. They've never been like that before and on top of that, they're constantly whispering to each other. Yet when we ask what they're talking about, they just giggle and wink at us."

"How long?"

"Right after grandfather's funeral, actually."

_Which means the kids' behavior is tied to the so-called curse or at the very least, possessed,_ Danny realized, _this is not going to end well…_


	30. The Cursed House Part IV

**Author Note: Thank you for all the favorites, follows and reviews!  
~CWA**

* * *

**CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE: THE CURSED HOUSE PART IV**

* * *

**Day One (Continued)**

Danny had yet to see the other two children, Wakako and Katsuki, which annoyed him as he wanted to see the kids for himself in order to deduct if they were possessed. He let out a frustrated sigh as he glanced toward Naru and Lin. The others were spread across the building that night to set up a few more cameras. _The only reason I'm here,_ Danny thought, _is because I know your secret Oliver. I'm curious as to when the others will find out… _He already had a vague suspicion that John figured it out during the previous case, but one could never really tell with that Australian priest.

Danny looked toward the door. _I hope Mai gets back soon. This silence is torture._ He plopped down in a chair and leaned back, tipping the chair slightly as he propped his legs on the table.

"Can you take this seriously," Naru snapped harshly.

"I am taking it seriously. I take every case seriously but I haven't seen Wakako and Katsuki yet and it's making me anxious. I hate the idea of kids possibly being possessed. Or anyone for that matter…"

Naru gave him a curt nod in understanding before turning back to the screens. He paid attention to a certain screen that was just coming online as Mai adjusted its camera in another room.

"_How's that,"_ her voice came over the link.

Naru pressed a button and was able to speak to her through the coms.

"It's fine. Come on back."

Danny crinkled his nose. _I get that she's just a few rooms over, but it's still pretty late at night and all the lights are out in the hall… Is it really safe for her? _

* * *

Mai exited the room and headed into the dark hallway. The lack of light caused her a bit of hesitation, but she walked through the hall nonetheless. _I have to stay focus. It's just down the hall and to the right. It's a short walk. Nothing's going to happen. _She heard the sound of little footsteps behind her.

"Oh Miss," a tiny voice called out to her, "_Miss…"_

Mai paused slightly._ Did someone just call me?_ When she heard nothing, she continued walking again, but stopped as she heard the voice once more.

"_Oh Miss…"_

Mai turned around hesitantly and nearly jumped when she saw a thin lanky arm sticking out from a doorway around the corner, waving at her. She let out a sigh of relief when two kids came from around the corner. Mai relaxed,

"You nearly scared me… You must be Wakako and Katsuki? What are you kids doing out so late?"

She barely managed to give them a friendly smile since she was still a bit nervous. The two kids just looked at her before turning to each other, whispering in quiet tones. Wakako, the young girl, finally turned to Mai. Her face showed no emotion and she didn't even seem to blink.

"How many did you bring with you Miss? How many of you are there? How many?"

"T-There's six of us," Mai answered, though she backed away a bit as a chill went down her spine.

"She says six," Wakako whispered to Katsuki, causing him to just stare at Mai.

"Not good."

"Trouble," Wakako added.

With each comment they said, Mai felt more and more uneasy. _Just what is with these kids?_ Wakako and Katsuki held hands and turned to leave, whispering to each other. Mai took a step forward,

"W-Wait! Why do you need to know how many of us there are?"

"You don't need to worry about that, Miss," Wakako said before turning and walking away with Katsuki.

Danny came from around the corner behind Mai, but he paused seeing the two children. _That has to be Wakako and Katsuki… _If he focused, he could see the spirits within the children from where he stood, causing him to tense. His jaw clenched slightly. _What spirit has the gull to possess kids?_ The kids were almost gone by now and he couldn't do anything about it until he had more information about the 'curse' as well as talk to the others about it. Mai stared as the kids left. _That was creepy… No wonder Akifumi had so much trouble talking about them._ Her heart was still pounding in her chest a bit, feeling nervous about the encounter. _There's something very strange about those two…_

Seeing that the kids had left, Danny walked up toward Mai from behind her.

"Creepy kids, huh?"

His voice caused her to jump nearly to the roof as she looked at Danny in horror. She relaxed seeing that it was only Danny, letting out a huge sigh of relief. He put his hands up in surrender with a sheepish expression.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you. I just didn't want you walking around alone even though it's a short distance…"

"It's okay," Mai smiled, "I… Those kids just put me on edge. Something's off about them, I just can't put my finger on it…"

"Did they say or do anything weird," Danny questioned, curious about what the spirits may want or intend to do.

"They just asked me how many of us there were… I don't understand why though. When I asked them about it, they just said not to worry…"

She shivered slightly as Danny's lips tightened into a thin line. He didn't like the sound of that. _It sounds like they're trying to gauge their enemy,_ Danny thought, _if they know how many of us there are, they can figure out a plan to take us out. _He softened slightly as he looked at how shaken up Mai was. He knew the case of Kaneyuki/Urado still bothered her and he didn't want to worry her any more than he had to. _It's best to just talk to Naru about the possessions. I don't want her to worry. _

He put a comforting hand on her shoulder with a brotherly smile,

"Just be careful, okay Mai?"

She didn't have time to comment as a loud shrill woman's scream went through the house.


	31. The Cursed House Part V

**Author Note: I know chapters are a bit short and I apologize, but shorter chapters do allow me to update daily a lot easier.  
~CWA**

* * *

**CHAPTER THIRTY: THE CURSED HOUSE PART V**

* * *

**Day One (Continued)**

Danny wasted no time in running toward the source of the scream. If Mai didn't know any better, she'd think he was almost _flying_ through the house at his speed. She could barely keep up with him and by the time they reached the main room, she was out of breath and her legs stung. Danny didn't appear to be as out of shape as her despite the weakness of his lungs. _He has asthma… Shouldn't he be just as out of breath as I am… if not more so? _

Eijiro was growling and snarling, his eyes glowing a faint red holding a knife over his head, trying to slash at anyone and everyone. Akifumi was staring in shock as the woman were trying to comfort each other, a few of them crying. Two men of the house were holding Eijiro back, but they were barely able to do so. The SPR group just entered through the door way, taking in the scene in shock. Mai had a hand over her mouth in shock and even Monk did nothing to keep from staring agape. Though Naru still kept a calm face, his eyes were narrowed, prepared to order Lin to knock out Eijiro. Before he could, Danny went into action. With no regard for his own safety, he stood in front of Eijiro. His eyes were intense as if he was staring straight at the spirit possessing the man.

Their grip on Eijiro broke as the man burst away to slash his knife at Danny. _Sloppy. _Danny easily dodged it and grabbed Eijiro's hand tightly to keep him from slashing. His gaze never left the man's eyes. He stared straight at the spirit possessing the man with a harsh glare. His core within him pulsed, causing the others in the room to feel the aura of power. The spirit sensed the power and grew more violent, not wanting to leave. He tried to get out of Danny's vice grip as he thrashed around, Danny had a tight hold on him.

Danny used his free hand to touch Eijiro's head with two fingers. He couldn't get the spirit out. Something, perhaps the so-called 'curse', was allowing the spirit's grip on the man to be too tight_. _The most Danny could do was knock the man out. In a way, he was doing something similar to what he did when Ellie couldn't sleep. However, this was entirely different. He was going to use his ghostly abilities to actually 'devour' the man's energy, not completely, but enough that the man should pass out. It would leave Danny feeling a bit 'charged' with the man's energy. _I hate using this power. If I'm not careful, I could drain all of his energy which could cause him to be fatally ill or dead. _He drew out the body's energy, causing Eijiro's eyes to drop. Finally the man collapsed all together. Naru narrowed his eyes slightly, wondering what Danny did exactly to knock the man out so quickly and effectively. _And the speed he showed to dodge the knife is almost inhuman…_

Danny took the knife away as the other members of the family watched in shock. Lin and Danny were the ones to secure Eijiro, tying the man's hand behind his back for safety reasons. If he woke up still possessed then it would end up badly. _I doubt he's going to wake up soon though,_ Danny briefly mused,_ I drained a good portion of his energy… _

"What happened," Naru finally asked, turning to Teruka.

"I'm not sure," the woman sniffled, "I was talking to him about his behavior at diner. Before then, he was perfectly normal and it was so strange to see him act so rude to guests. We argued before finally, he just stood and left. When he returned, he had the kitchen knife and went to attack me… Why would he do that?"

She looked at the group with confused, teary eyes. Danny gave her a sympathetic look,

"He wasn't in control of his actions," he explained softly, "I can sense the spirit within him. He's being possessed by something very aggressive with the intent to kill."

"In that case," Naru chimed, "We'd need John to exorcise the spirit. Unless you can do it…?"

Danny shook his head, _not without using my ghostly powers._

"I can do exorcisms, true, but I can't do it by myself. At least not with this spirit. It's particularly attached to him as if something else is giving it… extra power, so to say,"

"Well someone has to do it," Naru pointed out before turning to Ayako, "Miss Matsuzaki?"

"Fine," she flipped her hair, "But if it possesses someone else, don't blame me. I only drive them out…"

* * *

Eijiro was still passed out as he was laid in an empty, dark room. Ayako had changed into her priestess outfit and pulled her hair back before she created a small shrine to perform the exorcism. Candles were the only source of light in the room, causing an eerie feeling. The family members were kept out of the room for safety. Yet SPR, Monk and Danny were still in the room toward the back as to not interfere. Ayako got on her knees in front of the shrine, closing her eyes as she spoke.

"I reverently pray for thy presence. I humbly ask you to come to this place and purify all who reside in it. I ask you hear my pleas and bring peace in this house again…"

She continued to speak as Eijiro jolted awake. He started to crawl the best he could toward Ayako, who still continued with her prayers. Mai grew unsettled and anxious, a bit frightful for Ayako and everyone's safety. Danny had to whisper to her in reassurance that Ayako could do it and that neither him nor Lin would be able to do the exorcism (as Lin didn't know the identity of the spirit).

"Regardless," Naru cut in, "Father Brown will be here tomorrow."

Ayako continued chanting, ignoring everything else as she remained peaceful and calm.

"Bring together the gods of the four corners to make this place as peaceful as the heavens… Bring together the gods of the four corners… Bring together the gods of the four corners… Bring together the gods of the four corners…"

Eijiro froze and sat up a bit, a creepy wide grin on his face. Mai let out a horrified gasp as the spirit made itself seen. The large fox spirit towered over Eijiro and circled around the room. Both Naru and Danny stepped forward, ready for a right.

"Lin," Naru barked, "Get Mai out of here, now."

Lin didn't need to be told twice as he carefully led Mai out of the room. She looked over her shoulder briefly as a creepy laugh came from Eijiro, causing her to shiver. Ayako opened her eyes and narrowed them at the spirit.

"Praise be to the goddess Marishiten. Grant us her divine protection!"

She clapped once and the spirit came out completely, flying quickly toward Danny and Naru. Danny was prepared to put up a shield to protect them, but before he could, Naru stepped in front of Danny, allowing the spirit to completely enter him.

"Naru!" Mai screamed in concern as she and the others ran toward him.

Naru shivered slightly and let out a shaky breathy as his knees gave out. Danny caught him as he collapsed, a scowl on his face.

"You idiot," he hissed quietly, "I could have handled that!"

"Your lungs," Naru gasped slightly, a bit of pain going through his body, "If it entered you, your lungs would likely cause you to go into another asthma attack and your inhaler is empty…"

Danny's eyes widened slightly as Lin took Naru from Danny's arms. Danny patted his jacket pocket and felt where he placed his inhaler. Taking out and giving a small shake, he could feel that it was indeed empty. _That little sly bastard,_ Danny thought, a bit irritated and slightly amused, _he does care._

"Are you okay," Mai asked Naru, her voice laced with worry.

"I'm fine," Naru coughed, "How is Eijiro?"

They turned around and brought their attention to the previously possessed man. He had a slightly dazed expression on his face as he looked around.

"What happened," he whispered faintly.

Danny, however, still glanced toward Naru. He could faintly feel the spirit's presence, but it was almost gone. _Whatever he did, it worked,_ Danny huffed, _that doesn't mean I like it. _


	32. The Cursed House Part VI

**Author Note: Good news, I have time to update before I have to turn in my laptop and phone for the day. I'm grounded because of my grades, but in my defense, it's not_ that_ bad. I have like four 73-75 percents (which are three C's in the U.S.), one 60+ (which is a D in the U.S.) and one 91 (which is a low A in the U.S.).  
~CWA**

* * *

**CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE: THE CURSED HOUSE PART VI**

* * *

**Day One (Continued)**

With Eijiro returned to his family, the SPR group headed back toward their base room where the equipment was. Naru lingered in the back, hunched over a bit obviously in a bit of distress or pain as he sat down in a chair. As the others spoke about the equipment malfunctions from the spiritual interference, Danny took that chance to question Naru. He leaned forward slightly as he whispered.

"Thank you for not letting it get into me, but I could have handled it… I'm still not entirely sure what you did back there, but I know the spirit isn't completely gone. It's still in you… somewhere, somehow. It's weakened enough that I can get it out if you wish…"

"No," Naru hissed quietly, "I'll be fine. It'll pass, but that reminds me. What did you do to Eijiro to knock him out?"

"Simple energy transfer," Danny shrugged, the lie coming off easily, "I just got rid of enough of his body's energies and emotions to make him weak enough to pass out."

"Energy isn't created nor destroyed. Where did it go?"

Danny hesitated with his answer before finally, he spoke softly,

"I hate this ability and I don't use it often for this reason, but the energy goes to me. Like… the human body is like a battery, okay? I drain some of that battery, therefore refilling my own. Like every battery, their body just needs to recharge to get that energy back unless I drained it dry. Which I didn't. And I give energy to people just as I take away…"

Danny ran his fingers through his hair nervously, but Naru just nodded. _I can see why he doesn't use it that often, but it's interesting… In a way, it reminds me of the connection I shared with Gene._ At the mere thought of his twin, Naru let out a shaky breath which drew everyone's attention.

"Hey," Ayako said gently, "Are you sure you're okay?"

"I… I just need to lay down for a bit."

Naru stood up and started to leave the room, stumbling a bit. Ayako was the one to catch him.

"I have to change anyway. Let me help you to your room."

Mai blushed slightly in a bit of a huff, _I should have asked him that! That could have been my chance… _As soon as the pair was gone, Monk rolled his eyes.

"I can't believe that woman."

"What do you mean," Mai and Danny asked in union, causing them to share an amused look.

"She completely messed up the exorcism earlier," Monk mused, "And come to think it, has she ever been a help to us? And a real priestess would never try exorcisms by herself, everyone knows that. It's obvious to me she's just claiming to be a priestess… The thing is she does know her way around Shinto, so she had to have received some kind of training…."

Mai nodded slightly and glanced briefly toward the camera. What she saw on one of the screens caused her to let out a shocked gasp. Danny and Monk came over to look at the screen, which showed Ayako and Naru kissing in the hallway by the bedroom. Monk quickly started to laugh, but Danny gauged Mai's reaction. Her face turned pink and her eyes were wide.

"W-what are they…"

Mai was forced to look away as Monk and Danny continued to watch the screen. What they saw next snapped them back to action as they ran out.

"Lin," Monk called, "Hallway! Now!"

Mai watched them all leave with a bit of shock before she turned back to the screen, curious as to what they saw that made them react so quickly. Naru and Ayako's kiss was finished, but they were still standing close together. She let out a horrified gasp as she saw that Naru's hands were wrapped tightly around Ayako's neck… _He's going to choke her to death…_

* * *

Naru tightened his grip on Ayako's neck, his face darkened. Danny was quick to give him a swift hit that knocked him out cold. He didn't want to drain Naru's energy for Danny was already a bit overcharged from draining Eijiro. Naru collapsed and landed in Lin's arms as Ayako fell to the ground on her knees. She gasped for air eagerly as she rubbed her throat. Monk and Danny both hovered by her in concern. Mai came running down the hall to the scene,

"What happened!?"

"We have trouble," Monk explained, "…I thought the spirit just passed through Naru and went through the wall, but it looks like it's actually _inside _Naru… Danny, did you sense it?"

Danny gave a small guilty look as Ayako looked at him a bit offended and heart-broken. Danny sighed deeply,

"I did. I… I knew it was in him, but it was very weak. I didn't think too much on it… I'm sorry, Ayako."

He knelt down on one knee to bow as deeply as he possibly could. Humbled, Ayako accepted the apology and let Monk help her back to her feet. Her neck was still sore and small bruises were starting to form on the sides. Lin picked Naru up in his arms in a bridal-like style.

"We have work to do. Come."

He didn't say anything more as he left the hallway with Naru, bringing him to their own room. Danny was eager to follow, worried a bit about Naru's own safety. The others hesitantly followed as well, sharing cautious looks with each other as they lingered a bit behind Danny and Lin.

"Does… Does this mean Naru is possessed," Mai whispered, her eyes a bit teary.

Monk gave her a firm, solid nod, causing her to bite her lip. _Naru's one of the strongest guys I know, I didn't think people like him could even get possessed. _As they entered the room, Danny formed a cot inside the storage room. With it ready, Lin set Naru down gently before pulling a blanket up over the teenage boy.

"Shouldn't we tie him up," Ayako questioned.

Danny glanced briefly toward the one man who knew the most about Naru. Lin's face was dark as he didn't even look away from Naru to answer Ayako.

"This is Naru we're talking about," Lin answered, "Tying him up won't be enough. We can't risk an exorcism for it could invoke the spirit to do some serious harm. Ayako was damn lucky that nothing else happened to her… Whatever is possessing him hasn't gained full control of his body yet. Otherwise, Ayako would be dead… Naru is more dangerous than any of us could image. In a fight to the death, Naru would defeat even me."

Danny looked toward Naru and then back to Lin,

"I could take him," he said confidently, "I know exactly what he is capable of. If he wakes up, let me handle it, but we need to get to work on figuring out who this spirit is and what it wants _now._ I know some wards that could help protect Naru while we are gone since my _shiki_ are left protecting Ellie while I'm away, but Lin…"

Lin gave a curt nod,

"Of course. I have five _shiki_ that will be enough to protect him so he is never alone and they can form a perfect barrier so that your wards won't be necessary. I will be left defenseless, but it will be worth it to keep Naru safe…"

"No," Danny shook his head, "I can't let you do that. Spare just three of your _shiki_ or two. Those plus my wards will be enough to protect him… But we have to act quickly. Though he should be stuck in a sleep paralysis for a while, I don't want to take any chances."

He cracked his knuckles with a dark expression. _Let's get to work._


	33. The Cursed House Part VII

**Author Note: The chants Danny uses aren't real protection chants, but are based off real Wiccan protection rituals/chants. **

**What Danny is saying in Esperanto:**

**_In this place and in this hour_**

**_Take the keys to his heart_**

**_And close the doors of his mind._**

**_As king of the dead I place him under my protection,_**

**_None shall enter his heart, none shall harm him,_**

**_Head my words or seal your doom._**

**_So mote it be._**

**~CWA**

* * *

**CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO: THE CURSED HOUSE PART VII**

* * *

**Day One (Continued)**

After gathering the supplies needed from his station wagon, Danny prepared for the warding. _In truth, I could just make a force field around him but I think I need something that can be seen by them so they feel more comforted and confident in my abilities. _He felt a bit more confident having something that could be physically seen by the others. The others stood away from the storage room, a bit behind Danny himself. After Danny's order, Lin ordered his _shiki_ to stand close to Naru. Danny stood in front of Naru's body with a stern expression. His body was overly charged and he needed to get rid of some of his energy. This would be a good way to do it safely. His core pulsed within him, letting his powerful aura sweep through the air. Danny walked around Naru's sleeping body, pouring out salt as he went. Discretely, he powered his power into the salt as he created a solid salt ring around Naru.

_"En tiu loko kaj en ĉi horo_

_Prenu la ŝlosilojn al sia koro_

_Kaj fermi la pordojn de lia menso._

_Kiel reĝo de la mortintoj mi metas lin sub mia protekto,_

_Neniu eniros sian koron, oni ne malutilas al li,_

_Obeu miajn vortojn aŭ stampi vian fatalon._

_Do lignereton estu."_

Danny finished the circle just as he finished the chant. For a brief moment, the salt seemed to glow as the shield was activated._ But what language was he speaking in,_ Mai wondered, _it wasn't Latin like last time. It sounded a bit like Spanish? _

"What did you say," Monk asked curiously, "I've never seen a warding ritual like that before. Similar ones, yes, but the chants they used were in Latin."

Danny scratched at the back of his neck sheepishly, a bit thankful that his words would have at least part of the truth in them.

"Well, it's actually a ritual of my own creation, but so far, it's proven to be more powerful and effective than other wards. Spirits and demons can't cross over a solid line of salt, so be securing Naru in it, I'm sealing him in as well as sealing other spirits out aside from Lin's _shiki_\- they will be able to enter and exit the circle as Lin commands them since they mean no harm to Naru nor anyone other living being. However, my ritual protects the circle from being broken as well as protect any possessed bodies in it from harming themselves. Esperanto was the language I used. It's like an ancient form of Spanish, I suppose? But spirits are pretty effected by it, if not more so than they are by Latin."

_Wow,_ Mai thought amazed, _he must be pretty smart and powerful to create his very own warding ritual. I never knew that spirits couldn't pass through salt. And I don't think even Lin knew about Esperanto. He looks pretty surprised. _She turned to Danny as she titled her head.

"But what did you say," Mai asked curiously.

"Nothing much," Danny waved it off, "Just a basic protection chant to protect Naru from any harm that the spirit within in might do. This includes spiritual, mental and physical harm."

The others nodded, a bit content with his explanation despite how vague and different it was. None of them had heard of such an effective, powerful warding ritual before and his didn't seem to be based in any one religion or spiritual practice. Lin turned toward Ayako and Mai with a dark expression,

"Even with all these wards, and the Specter Deflectors, I can't guarantee your safety. It's up to you if you want to stay or leave for your own safety."

Mai glared at Lin as her face started to feel hot, offended that Lin would even suggest to leave.

"We can't just abandon Naru," Mai cried out.

"She's right," Ayako agreed, "What type of friends would we be if we just left him?"

"Alright," Danny nodded, "I don't suppose we could change your minds?"

Mai and Ayako both nodded a negative, causing Danny to sigh. He would have been glad if the girls left to keep them safe, not just from the spirits, but from Naru if, by some odd chance, he happened to wake up and break the circle.

"Alright," Danny sighed, "Then let's get to work…"

* * *

_Mai felt her heart pound as she started to run through the small area of trees outside the house. She could see a familiar dark silhouette not that far away. How could I have let it come to this,_ _What am I going to do?__ Mai thought desperately as she continued to run. Her legs were starting to get sore, but she didn't care. She ran like her life depended on it as she spotted Naru. The closer she got, however, the more she slowed down. The knife in his hand was clearly visible as it shined with blood. In front of him laid Akifumi's body, cold and dead. Mai let out a horrified gasp as she brought her hand to her mouth._

_"He left me no choice," Naru stated simply. _

_Mai stared at the body in horror._

_"B-but why?"_

_"There was nothing I could do. He was waiting here when I arrived so of course, I thought you betrayed me."_

_"How could you think I would do that," Mai cried out, but Naru just stared at the body. _

_His voice showed clear anger as his fists clenched tightly._

_"It made sense! What other reason he could he have for being here?! You were the only one who knew where we were going to meet!" _

_"No," Mai shook her head, her voice trembling, "It's not like that! The letters got mixed up! I ended up in a completely different place!"_

_Her voice was wavering with fear and sorrow. Before she could say another word, Naru grabbed her hand and pulled her close to him. He rested his hand on her upper back as he hugged her tightly. Naru had tears in his eyes as he looked down at her._

_"Now that I've killed someone, I've got no where to run. If I turn myself in, they'll kill me."_

_Mai looked up at him with tears in her eyes._

_"If you're going to die, I'm going with you."_

_Naru smiled faintly in a loving manner. Before he could say anything, the sound of screams and footsteps were heard. People were heading toward them- quickly. He grabbed Mai's hand and they started to run off. Mai's heart was pounding as she ran, briefly looking over her shoulder to see the crowd of people chasing after them. Most had torches that allowed them to see. _

_"They're right behind us," she cried out. _

_"Just keep running!"_

_Naru kept running with her until they reached the shrine. A shrine, Mai thought confused, we should be at the sea… The sea… What does that mean? Why am I thinking about the sea at a time like this? Mai collapsed at the gates near the shrine, her legs giving out on her. She still held onto Naru's hand._

_"It's useless… I can't run anymore…"_

_"It seems pretty hopeless to me."_

_She looked up to see the figure of Monk standing by her. Monk, Mai thought confused, but soon after Ayako appeared as well. _

_"What's to become of us now?"_

_Lin appeared as well, his back facing Mai as he looked at the crowd._

_"I guess we'll have to give up."_

_Give up,__ Mai repeated in her mind in confusion. The crowd swarmed around them in a threatening manner. All of them holding torches or weapons. Mai spotted Eijiro at the face of the crowd. Eijiro? What's going on? Eijiro held a long sharp sword in his hand as he approached Mai, sneering as he did so._

_"I shall curse you from beyond the grave," he hissed, "You will not escape me."_

_The sword came down in one quick swipe at Mai and all she saw was white._


	34. The Cursed House Part VIII

**Author Note: Please review!  
~CWA**

* * *

**CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE: THE CURSED HOUSE PART VIII**

* * *

**Day Two**

After her odd dream, Mai had a second strange one with 'Naru' again. He showed her a shrine that laid in the caves nearby along with the wandering spirits inside the cave. According to him, it seemed to be some sort of holy ground. When she woke up, she had more questions than answers. Shaking her head, she got up and headed to the bathing room to clean up her body and her hopefully her mind as well. With her hair pinned up in two small lazy buns, she emerged herself in the water with a sigh. She leaned over the edge and rested her arms across it as she started to think. _The shrine, the cave, the dream… All of it has to be connected to the case somehow. In my dream, we ran to the shrine not the sea only to be surrounded by pursuers and Danny wasn't even with us. Why wasn't he with us? If he's not with us, does that mean something bad will happen? But then Eijiro appeared with a katana. But Danny did appear in my second dream with 'Naru'. When we went to caves, I briefly spotted Danny at the mouth of the cave and when I called out to him, he seemed to hear me only to wave it off and disappear. _

With a small scream at the memory, Mai collapsed into the water. _This is getting difficult, especially since Naru isn't able to help us figure things out. It's a good thing Danny has his wards to protect Naru though…_ She sighed slightly and got out of the water before getting dressed. _So much for relaxing. _She dried and dressed herself quickly, still in thought even as she exited the bathing room, passing Danny on her way. He carried one towel under his arm, but the other hand was holding a second towel around his head as he dried his hair. His face still glistened with a bit of water so it was pretty clear he just got of the male bathing area. His eyes seemed a bit dull and if she looked closely then she could see the bags forming under his eyes.

"Oh hey Mai," he greeted, but his voice lacked its usual warmth and cheerfulness, "You okay?"

She gave him a small grin as she greeted him,

"I should be asking you that question," she put a hand on her hip, "You seem pretty tired."

"Huh," he yawned, "Oh, I'm fine… I just didn't get much sleep last night. I kept sensing spirits everywhere, but when I wandered around, I didn't see anything. Though did you know there's a cave nearby? I didn't get to explore it in depth, but there seemed to be a shrine inside of it of some kind."

He scratched at his head a bit,

"Funniest thing though. When I explored it, I could have sworn I heard your voice calling my name for a second. Weird huh?"

"Y-yeah," Mai stuttered nervously, "Weird…"

Danny just laughed it off, but Mai shifted her weight a bit uncomfortably. _Was my second dream actually astral projection? But if it was, then how did Danny hear me? _She silently debated with herself about telling Danny about her musings, but before she could she noticed the way he tensed suddenly. Danny's hand dropped from his head, still tightly gripping the towel, as his body tensed. His eyes hardened and narrowed.

"Something is wrong," he stated firmly, "…Come on!"

He made a dash for it, running so quickly that Mai had difficulty following him. She was out of breath by the time they reached the room where they could hear screams and shouts. Akifumi stood in the doorway with Monk and the others of SPR while Danny and Mai joined them. _For someone with asthma, he sure can run,_ Mai wheezed before controlling herself. Danny, however, was out of breath even if he didn't show it. He controlled his breathing evenly and easy as he looked into the room with hooded eyes.

Akifumi's brother, though Mai wasn't sure which one, laid on the ground with blood covering his arms. His eyes were closed, clearly passed out. The blood was everywhere and still leaking through the deep cuts and wounds. A small blade was in one of his hands. Danny ran over and used the towel he held to tie around the man's arm to stop the bleeding.

"Get the other side! Quickly! Akifumi, call an ambulance and get Mai out of here! Now!"

Mai could only stare in horror as she took in the scene before her. Danny and Monk worked on tying the arms up to stop the breathing as Akifumi desperately called the ambulance. She was taken out of her shock when she heard someone call behind her.

"_Oh miss," _a soft little voice called.

She turned to see Wakako and Katsuki. The two children showed no fear or any other extreme emotion as they just looked at the scene behind Mai with curious grins. Mai quickly shut the door as she stepped out, blocking the scene from the children.

"What is it," Mai asked, forcing a smile on her face.

Wakako got a big grin on her face,

"Is Uncle Yashi dead? Well? Is he dead?"

"Is he dead yet," Katsuki asked, just as excited.

Mai's eyes hardened slightly as she took a step back. _These kids…What's wrong with them?_

"Don't worry," Mai assured them, "An ambulance is on it's way right now."

The two kids' faces dropped as they frowned sadly.

"That means he's still alive," Katsuki sighed.

"Aww," Wakano sounded just as upset.

Mai looked at them in shock as they just ran off holding hands. _What's wrong with those kids… Something is not right… Did they do this? _

* * *

John and Masako had joined the group at the Inn, but they were unpleased about learning about Naru's condition, even more so when they saw it for themselves. That on top of the update about the case itself left them all unsettled. Masako was still saddened as she felt the tears bristling at her eyes. Seeing Naru in that condition did a number on her emotions as she silently wept into her kimono sleeve. Danny placed a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"Naru has a strong soul," he said confidently, "Nothing is going to hurt him mentally or physically. Soon enough that very spirit will be driven out of him."

_Whether it be by Naru's sheer stubborn willpower, my wards, or John's exorcism,_ Danny mentally added. John looked over to Naru with a concerned expression,

"But what is protecting him now?

"I have my _shiki _around him," Lin stated simply, "Along with the wards Danny set up around him."

"That explains the salt," John mused before turning to Danny, "What wards did you use? Even I can feel just the energy coming off that circle of yours."

Danny scratched at his head a bit nervously,

"It's a ward I created myself. Proven to work and be as effective as I need it to be, of course. So far it's actually one of the strongest wards I have ever come across."

"You did well," Masako praised softly, "Even from where I stand I can sense the power from it. What did you base your warding off of?"

John and the others looked over curiously at Danny as well. Danny shrugged,

"Well, the chant's in Esperanto, which I already explained is practically more effective than Latin or Greek, but the words and phrases are based off Wiccan chants. As I told the others, all I did was basically create a warding to protect Naru's mind, soul and body from any harm from the spirits. I can't drive the spirit possessing him out because it has such a strong grip on Naru's soul, but the wards won't attack it unless it does any actual harm to Naru."

He didn't get a chance to continue as the doors opened. Akifumi walked in with a defeated expression as he collapsed to his knees. His clothes were still bloodied from helping his brother. He motioned for the others to sit as well, which the did so. Then with a heavy heart, Akifumi began to explain what his brother told him while they were at the hospital.

Danny sat in the back with a grim expression, his hands going up and down his arms nervously. Akifumi's voice cracked and wavered as he explained what his brother told him at the hospital. Yashi had stated that ever since the funeral, he heard a voice telling him to kill everyone and that in his dreams, he did exactly that, even the children died at his hands.

"He hoped," Akifumi explained, "to kill himself before it could happen…"

"If we arrived any later, it would have worked," Monk chimed sadly as he lowed his head, "I'm sorry we couldn't do more to help. This is our fault…"

Danny bowed his head as well, adding his own sincere apology for not arriving sooner. However, Akifumi just waved them both off,

"Oh no, if we never called you then our boss wouldn't be in the condition he is in now," he glanced briefly toward the closed storage room, "…If you excuse me, I should inform the rest of the family of what transpired."

He got up, bowed, and then quickly left. Monk glanced toward the storage room,

"Lin, Danny, if a spirit came near Naru, you would sense it right?"

"My_ shiki_ will and therefore I will now about it yes," Lin confirmed as Danny shrugged,

"If something sets the wards off then yes," Danny thought for a moment before realizing what Monk was getting at, "My wards would go off if something left his body as well and Lin's _shiki_ would know as well…."

"Which means there's more than one spirit," Ayako chimed as realization dawned on her.

"You think Yashi was possessed too," Mai questioned.

"I can't imagine it being anything else," Monk answered honestly as he began to think, "Which means we have to check the rest of the family for spirits and fast before something else happens…"

Mai gave a concerned look as Danny's expression darkened. There were only two people in the house he could think of as being possessed- _Katsuki and Wakako. _


	35. The Cursed House Part IX

**Author Note: Thank you for all the favorites, reviews and follows!  
~CWA**

* * *

**CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR: THE CURSED HOUSE PART IX**

* * *

**Day Two (Continued)**

Like they had planned, they visited each member of the family. Masako and Danny were sensing for any spirits inside any of them. Akifumi, after being cleared, followed them with concern for his family. It didn't take long before they reached Hazuki. The young girl still had the rope burn around her neck, but she didn't seem too angered. She gave them a bit of a frightened look as both Danny and Masako looked at her intensely. _I'm stupid for not realizing this,_ Danny scolded himself, _while she's not possessed directly, there is a sort of hollow spirit following her around. It doesn't seem to have a grudge. More like it's just following orders…_

"I do sense a spirit," Masako explained, "But it feels hollow, no bitterness or grudge… But I can't rule out the possibility of her being possessed by an evil spirit. Danny, do you sense anything?"

"Something," Danny answered vaguely, "I don't think it's possessing her directly, but it does have some sort of attachment. I can feel the same hollow feeling that you're getting from it. I think it's just some sort of pawn, a hollow spirit following the orders of something bigger… John, do you want to do an exorcism on her just in case? Or should I do it? But after her, we need to do an exorcism of Yashitaka- he's still in the hospital, but the spirit could still be possessing him."

"I'll do it," John agreed as he stepped forward with a forlorn expression.

He hated doing exorcisms on children. It always broke his heart, but he had confidence in his abilities to drive away any dark forces. As much as he trusted Danny, he would rather do the exorcisms himself to be sure. John used a small amount of holy water to make a cross in the air in front of Hazuki. The small child was being comforted by Mai, who sat on the ground beside her.

"In the beginning there was the Word," John began, "And the Word was with God and the Word was God…"

Hazuki started to tear up and lean against Mai, whimpering a bit in fright. However, Danny's attention went straight to one particular member of the family. One of the women of the family started to twitch before she finally just left all together, muttering a quick apology before she did so. _I think a good portion of people here are either possessed, oppressed or have some sort of spirit following them,_ Danny mused.

Monk, Akifumi, Ayako and Danny stepped out of the room briefly to talk among themselves as they watched the woman leave in tears down the hall.

"Ayako, Danny," Monk asked, "Do you think either of you can make charms to give everyone?"

They both nodded, confident in their abilities to do so. Monk then turned to Akifumi,

"As for you, I need you to take me to your family shrine…"

* * *

As soon as the charms were ready, they were split into groups to give the charms out. Mai and Danny joined together in a group, but they found that certain members of the family were rather too stubborn to accept the charms. _They're not possessed or oppressed, _Danny thought irritated, _they're just stupid_. He looked briefly toward Mai, who looked disheartened after another person rejected accepted the charm.

"I'm sure someone will accept them," Danny tried to cheer her up, "There's bound to be a reasonable person in this family…"

He gave her a goody grin which lifted her spirits up again as they continued making their way through the house. However, she was disheartened again as they soon found themselves in pursuit of a certain pair of stubborn, strange children. Wakako and Katsuki bluntly refused the charms and when Danny tried to force one of the charms into their hands, they had burst into a run. The children were quick as they ran through the house and all the way outside.

"Wakako," Mai called out desperately, "Katsuki! Please!"

_These kids,_ Mai realized, _Are they… Are they possessed? Is that why they won't accept these charms? Why they're acting so weird? _She and Danny continued to run after the kids. Considering all the running he had done recently, Danny wasn't fairing that well as his breathing began to grow labored and painful. As the two finally reached outside, Mai noticed how Danny was hitting his chest as he coughed.

She stopped running, following her lead, Danny stopped as well, allowing himself enough time to dig his inhaler out. As he received his medication, Mai called out to the kids.

"Wakako, Katsuki, did you know your uncle died?"

Danny looked at her curiously, but figured he knew exactly what she was doing. He didn't say anything, instead choosing to be quiet as he finished fixing himself up. He put the inhaler back into his pocket as the kids finally stopped running. Both got big grins on their faces as they turned to face Mai.

"Really? That's wonderful!"

_I knew it,_ Mai thought, but her eyes widened a bit in horror. A small plan formed in her mind as she glanced at Danny briefly. Taking her lead, Danny stepped forward, putting his charms into his pockets,

"Your Uncle Akifumi died too…"

"Really," Wakako wondered, "Uncle Aki is dead too?"

"Did he drive his car," Katsuki asked excitedly.

Mai and Danny ventured closer to the kids with grim expressions. Danny grabbed the two children by their wrists gently, but firmly as they squirmed.

"Hey let us go!"

"Not until you tell us what you did to the car," Danny stated firmly.

The kids refused to give up the information as they started to squirm in his grasp. As much as Danny wanted to run off, to stop Akifumi from driving, he had to stay in place. He couldn't trust two devious possessed children alone with Mai. It was too dangerous. Even if she had the Specter Deflector, that wouldn't stop the spirits from doing something drastic. The kids could easily set a trap that could hurt or kill Mai without even touching her. Danny refused to let that happen.

Ayako rushed out of the building toward them,

"Hey! What's going on out here!"

"We have two possessions," Danny said simply, but his eyes never wavered their focus on the kids in his grasp, "And these guys are going to tell us exactly what they did to Akifumi's car."

"Or what," Katsuki asked bravely as he continued to try to get out of the grasp.

Danny looked at the two children intensely. The kids looked back at him, trying to bravely stand their ground, but as soon as their eyes met his, a wave of fear washed over them. Danny's eyes flashed a vivid, glowing green for just a moment. It was only a flash, but it was enough to allow his ghostly aura shine through. The powerful aura had disappeared as quick as it was released, but the spirits inside the children knew that Danny was not only powerful, but he was a power not to be messed with.

"Or I will make sure that you two spirits never possess or harm anyone again," Danny threatened, his tone dangerously low.

Even though both Ayako and Mai knew Danny was speaking to the spirits inside the children, it unsettled them a bit to see him use that tone of voice toward them. Mai shifted her weight a bit uncomfortably as Ayako tensed. The shrine priestess took a step forward and aided Danny in securing the children. Katsuki squirmed as Ayako grabbed hold of him, allowing Danny to focus on securing Wakako. However, he kept his eyes on both children carefully.

"Who are you," Mai demanded, "Who are you?"

"I'm going to kill you miss," Katsuki answered, his voice turning low and deadly as a grin spread across his face, "Not just you, but everyone in this house is going to die… Including this boy…. If I chopped off your head, it would be considered merciful… Or having the people you love betray your trust…"

Mai got flashbacks of her dreams- the man chopping off her head, her friends standing by the shrine. She stood her ground bravely as she looked at the boy.

"Did they chase you to the shrine," Mai demanded harshly, "Kill you in cold blood? Did the people of the house do it to you? Is that why you want to kill them? Why don't you just release Katsuki and Wakako now peacefully?"

"Maybe," Katsuki answered vaguely, "And we'll let go of their bodies when they die…"

Katsuki broke free of Ayako's grasp and made a dash for the ocean. It didn't take a genius to realize the spirit was planning on drowning the boy. Danny's grasp on Wakako broke free as he pushed the girl to Ayako. The shrine priestess held onto the girl securely as Danny dashed after Katsuki. His eyes were narrowed dangerously as his feet seemed to soared across the grass at inhuman speeds. Though none of them could see it, Danny's eyes started to dangerously glow an eerie mix of green and red as his powerful aura pulsed around him. He began to speak loudly and clearly.

_"Lasu ke korpo nun, ĉar la reĝo de la mortintoj, Mi ordonas ĝin. Restigu kaj neniam reveni aŭ alfronti la koleregon de mia povo*."_

He reached the boy just before the spirit jumped at the edge of the cliff. He pulled the boy close to him, away from the edge, and kept a vice grasp around him. Discretely, he turned one of his hands intangible and put it into the back of the boy as he forcibly pushed the spirit out. The spirit screamed, but the boy collapsed as the spirit finally was forced to leave him. Danny held the tired, unconscious boy in his arms as he glared up at the spirit. The ghostly figure was unseen by the humans, but Danny could see it clearly. The spirit looked at Danny, looked straight into the swirling depths of red and green, with fright before it disappeared for good.

Danny relaxed as soon as the spirit disappeared, his eyes going back to their normal swirls of green and blue. He picked up the boy and brought him back to Mai and Ayako. The possessed squirming girl in Ayako's arms had stopped moving as she looked at Danny with fright. She had seen what he did, heard his words, and now, she was afraid. The spirit left by its own choice, causing Wakako to collapse in Ayako's arms.

Katsuki slowly woke up, as he realized where he was he started to cry loudly causing Wakako to wake and cry as well. The girl squirmed free from Ayako and ran toward the only familiar person she saw- Katsuki. Danny set Katsuki down as he reunited with Wakako. The two children continued to cry, however, as they looked toward Danny with a bit of fright.

"Hey there," Danny greeted warmly, "There's no need to cry, okay? I'm Danny. This is Mai and Ayako. We're here to help."

He let his aura of protection and warmth flow out. As it reached the children, they started to calm almost instantly as their cries turning to soft sniffles.

"D-Danny," Wakako greeted as she repeated his name.

"That's right," Danny smiled, "Why don't we take you back inside to Akifumi and the others."

The two children nodded and Danny handed them off toward Ayako, muttering a quick _'I'll be back' _to the woman. Before he could return into the house there was one thing he had to do first. He had to warn Akifumi and Monk before they got into the car…_Who knows what those spirits did to it? _

* * *

The sun was just beginning to set when everyone had gathered back into the main room. Akifumi wasn't thrilled learning that Wakako and Katsuki were possessed, but the whole family thanked Danny for getting the spirits out of them. Though Ayako had suspicions about the methods Danny had used, she quickly brushed it off as she was unfamiliar with just about all of his methods. _And whatever it was seemed to have worked,_ Ayako mused slightly.

"That was a tricky possession you did," Monk mused as he looked toward Danny, "Ayako said that she had never seen anything like it."

"I never even heard of an exorcism in Esperanto," John added.

"My methods are a bit… different," Danny answered vaguely, "But they work. I suspected the kids of being possessed from the beginning after hearing their strange behavior, but I never thought it'd go this far…"

Monk nodded as he took in the words, but he knew he'd never get a direct answer as to what Danny did for that exorcism.

"Well, we checked the car," Monk changed the subject quickly, "It turned out it the break fluid was leaking pretty badly. If someone tried to drive it without knowing…"

He trailed off slightly as Mai frowned,

"So the kids did that? Or at least the spirits possessing them did?"

"I don't know," Danny added, "It doesn't quite add up…"

Before they could continue the subject, the door burst open. Yoko, or at least Danny thought it was Yoko as he still got the names a mixed up, burst through the doors with an angry expression on her face. Her eyes were hooded as they blazed with a fury that didn't seem fit for her.

"I want to know who scared the children," she screeched, "And who gave them those terrible charms! They're useless! I demand you take those away from them!"

Yoko continued to screech as she panted heavily. Mai and Monk stared at her in shock, not expecting the woman to lash out so violently. Danny was the one to take a step forward, gently as to anger the woman farther. He let his warming aura pulse outward to try to calm her, but he knew it would do little use. He could see the spirit within her.

"Just calm down," Danny stated gently, "Calm down… Breath deeply…"

Yoko looked at him with anger, but as Danny trailed on, her eyes began to feel heavy. Danny finally reached her as she swayed on her feet. Mai watched the scene unfold with a bit of a fear. _We haven't solved anything in this case. All we've done is serve as a trigger. We managed to set the spirits off, making them more violent than ever…_

"Just place take it," Monk stated calmly as he held out the charmed piece of paper.

Yoko looked at it, then at Danny, before finally she grabbed the piece of paper. She held it tightly in her fists before opening her palm again as it went up in flames. A sadistic grin appeared on her face.

"You see, it's useless," Yoko stated simply, grinning at the group.

* * *

Nao, another woman of the family, stood at the edge of the cliff looking over at the sunset wistfully. _If those Spiritualists weren't here, who knows what would have happened?_ She thought to herself as she cradled her arms to her body to protect herself from the breeze. She felt another presence behind her and turned around with wide eyes. _No…_

A pair of clammy dead hands pushed her off the edge of the cliff, sending her to her death.

* * *

**_*Leave that body now, as the king of the dead, I command it. Leave and never return or face the wrath of my power._**


	36. The Cursed House Part X

**Author Note: I actually slept through my alarm. I never sleep through an alarm. This is weird. But I either slept through it or somehow last night, my cat turned it off.  
~CWA**

* * *

**CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE: THE CURSED HOUSE PART X**

* * *

**Day Two (Continued)**

When it became obvious to everyone that Yoko was possessed, Monk and Ayako pushed Mai gently behind them. Danny tensed slightly as the spirit revealed its true colors. Yoko continued to grin as the charm burned in her hands as if the flames didn't bother her. Seeing the flames struck a chord within Danny, causing him to inwardly wince, but he stood his ground.

"Just calm down," he stated simply, "Listen to my voice."

He repeated the phrase a few times as Yoko looked at him in confusion. Her body started to feel heavy as if she couldn't move. As soon as she was immobile, Danny placed a finger on her temple, muttering a few words in Esperanto under his breath. She felt her eyes get heavy as they glazed over. Danny motioned for John to step forward,

"She's immobile. Don't worry, it's similar to the Binding of Immobility so she's not hurt or passed out. John, if you will please…"

John nodded and stepped forward with the bottle of Holy Water in his hands. He made a cross with it before he started to pray. As he spoke the exorcism, the woman began to feel better. They could practically feel the energy lift. As he finished, Yoko gasped before falling to her knees. Danny helped her get steady as she looked at everyone in confusion.

"What happened…. Who are you?"

* * *

That night, after everything was settled, Mai thought it would calm down, that perhaps they could go the rest of the night in peace. However, that proved not to be the case as she found herself in a room with everyone from SPR once again as Monk, Akifumi and Danny searched the residence for Nao. The clock told her it was already past midnight and she was starting to lose hope.

"Any sign of her," Mai asked hopefully as the group entered the room.

"No," Monk shook his head, "We looked everywhere for her."

"When we searched the room we found that she left her wallet and keys behind," Akifumi added, "I doubt she could have made it far by herself."

Danny sighed deeply as he sat beside Mai,

"I can't even use my abilities to find her. I tried, but her trail just faded away as if someone or something washed it away."

"Is that even possible," Mai questioned.

"It's hard to do," Danny admitted, "Even when Suzuki from that one case went missing, I was able to find enough of her trail before it cut off. But with Nao, it's gone completely. Which means she either has been gone from this property for a longer time than we think or some spiritual force doesn't want us to find her."

He sighed in frustration again as he ran his hands through his hair. Akifumi gave a sad, thankful look toward Danny with his head a bit low,

"But we thank you for trying your best," Akifumi tried to comfort the Spiritualist, sensing that he was obviously distressed, "I know all this running around is hard for you. I saw your inhaler."

Danny gave a nod of appreciation, his hand touching the inhaler in his pocket slightly. John and Monk gave Danny a small nod of thanks as well, both of them remembering how bad his lungs were at the Urado case. Ayako leaned against the wall as she began to think.

"Now that I think about it," Ayako mused, "I don't think we ever gave her a charm for protection."

Akifumi nodded sadly,

"If she hasn't returned in the morning, I'll file a missing person's report…"

He didn't have time to add anymore as Lin noticed something on the screens. His eyes hardened slightly as he ordered Monk and Danny to take a look.

"Check the feed from the cave," Lin instructed the two as they hovered over Lin's shoulder.

What was on the screen made them both snap into action as they started to run out of the room.

"John, follow us," Monk ordered as they ran out.

Lin followed the group as well, quickly giving Mai and Ayako an order to stay put. Mai furrowed her brows in confusion as she rushed over to the screens, hoping to see what they saw. Ayako joined as well,

"What do you see Mai?"

"It… It looks like something's caught on the rocks at the edge of the cave. It bobs up and down whenever the waves roll…"

She pointed to the screen where she saw the strange object. They both watched as Monk, Danny, Lin and John appeared on screen, running and out of breath. Danny had to use his inhaler once or twice, but he seemed to be just fine as he helped the others drag whatever it was out of the sea. As the group brought it out, Mai and Ayako had wide eyes with horror.

"This is terrible," Ayako whispered.

"Is… Is that Nao," Mai whispered, a bit horrified.

Akifumi, who stood behind them, saw his family member on the screen. He paled slightly before running out of the room, ignoring Mai's calls for him to come back. Giving up, Mai turned her attention back to the screen. The more she watched the more tears started to bristle at her eyes. Ayako held Mai close in a motherly, comforting fashion as they both watched the horrible scene unfold.

_Why can't Naru be here at a time like this,_ Mai thought desperately.

* * *

What they had found in the cave was indeed Nao's deceased body. The news of her death didn't settle well with anyone in the family nor the Spiritualists. The SPR group, along with Danny, had gathered back into their room. A tense grim aura of death surrounded the room so thickly it was almost suffocating. Mai was sitting on the floor with her knees to her chest as she tried to hold back the tears. Danny was a bit jumpy, quick to snap at anyone, but it was clear to Mai that he was mostly frustrated with himself rather than the others. Monk was just finishing drying his hair from the dip into the ocean as he turned to Masako,

"I think you should try to channel Nao's spirit," he announced clearly.

Masako nodded and it wasn't too long before she had a séance set up, complete with the dark rooms and the only lights being the candles. Mai sat with the others at the dark table as she whispered to Monk.

"Shouldn't the family be here for this?"

"No way," Monk shook his head, "I think this was foul play and it's likely one of the other family members are the murderers. That's why we need Masako to summon the spirit to tell us what happened…"

The candles flickered a bit as Masako was finally able to channel the spirit. Danny tensed, hating how this séance was being done. He never agreed with channeling spirits. _Allowing them to just possess you like that, no matter how briefly, seems dangerous to me,_ he thought before shaking his head. He brought his focus back on the situation. Masako's eyes closed as she let out a small gasp.

"Are you Nao Yoshimi," Danny asked clearly.

Masako, or rather Masako's body, nodded,

"Y-Yes," her voice came out a bit different than her usual voice.

"Nao Yoshimi," Danny spoke clearly, "You have passed away. Do you know how you died?"

"I fell," the spirit answered, "… Into the sea. I was looking at the water just outside the restaurant when someone pushed me."

"Who pushed you," Danny demanded, "Do you remember anything? Even the slightest detail could help us find out who did it."

"I-I don't know," the spirit's voice wavered, "I don't remember anything! I-I don't want to remember anything… I don't want to know who did this to me."

She didn't get a chance to speak more as she screamed, screaming about a monster pulling on her, yet Danny didn't sense any more spirits. The others tensed and leaned forward, prepared to help, but Danny just shook his head as a signal that she was simply reliving what had happened to her. The candles stopped flickering as Masako became limp.

"Monster," John repeated, "What did she mean?"

"She confirmed she was murdered," Danny chimed, "…And it was most likely someone in her family…"

Danny felt a bit of unease as he spoke those words, a small shiver going up his spine as his stomach turned. Unpleasant memories of his own almost-death came to mind and he stood up,

"I-I don't feel well… Please excuse me."

He bowed politely, but everyone could see his body was shaking before he quickly left the room.

"I'll see if he's okay," Monk reassured the group as he stood up and followed the young Spiritualist.

As he stepped out of the room, it didn't take long for him to find Danny swaying on his feet a few doors down. Danny leaned against the wall with a heavy heart, his breathing becoming shallow as he felt his face heat up. His heart was pounding louder and louder. All he could hear was his parent's voices. _"Our son died…You are a ghost…" _His eyes widened with tears as he reached up to clench at his chest. He gripped his shirt tightly over his heart as he started to shake even more. _He's having a panic attack,_ Monk realized as he quickly rushed over to help the young man.

"Danny," Monk spoke softly and slowly to not startle him, "Danny can you hear me? Danny… Listen to me, please. Take some deep breaths and you'll be fine. Is it okay for me to touch you?"

Danny looked at Monk with wide eyes. It broke the man's heart to see such betrayal, heartbreak and hurt in Danny's eyes. Finally, Danny nodded slowly, but his breathing was still rigid and broken. Monk placed a hand on Danny's shoulder, noticing the way Danny winced and almost pulled away. Monk's grasp was loose, but it was comforting. Monk couldn't feel any spirits inside Danny which meant the panic attack was his own. _What could have happened for him to have such an extreme reaction to this,_ Monk thought in confusion, _He's a Spiritualist. He's used to death, but it seems like there was something specific about her death that was a trigger. _

Danny continued to shake, bringing Monk out of his own thoughts. _He's still a kid,_ Monk focused, _he's still pretty young and he's a powerful psychic and spiritualist, but that doesn't mean he doesn't have his own issues. _Monk breathed slowly and deeply, trying to get Danny to mimic the breathing exercise.

"Listen to me," Monk said softly, "Please Danny… You're okay, no one is going to hurt you, you're safe with us. Deep breaths… You're a strong young man, Danny, you can do this…"

With Monk's help, Danny was slowly brought back to reality. He was still a bit shaken, but he was able to slow down his heart beat as he looked up at Monk.

"I'm sorry," Danny apologized with a guilty expression, "I haven't really had a chance to meditate here yet… Usually meditation helps keep these under control…"

He gave Monk a shaky grin, which Monk returned,

"You have nothing to be sorry for. Just take it easy…Do you need some help getting back to your room?"

"I…Sure…"

Danny admitted to the help as he leaned against Monk for support, still a bit shaky on his feet. Monk threw his arm around Danny and helped him get to the room. _I don't know what happened to you, _Monk thought to himself, _And I may never will, but it's pretty clear that you need someone to help you… I just wish you'd let us do it._


	37. The Cursed House Part XI

**Author Note: Sorry, would've updated sooner today but I have been _extremely_ busy, plus I went to the dog park (it's like heaven but with huge dogs considering I have a 70+ pound German Shepard and _she's still a puppy). _This the last case from the anime I will be doing- but don't worry, I have plenty of other case ideas of my own as well as them finding a little bit more about Danny as time goes on.  
~CWA**

* * *

**CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX: THE CURSED HOUSE PART XI**

* * *

**Day Three**

The next day, Yasuhara joined the group for backup. Monk had called him in after Danny had his panic attack. He figured that with Danny's health (both mental and physical) being as it was, they could use some more people. Of course, Monk had kept quiet about Danny's attack for respect of the young man's privacy and never asked what it was about or what caused it. Danny was thankful for that.

Currently the group was gathered together in one room going over the data from last night. Mai hung about in the back, thinking about her strange dream from last night. 'Naru' had appeared in it and they were in the cave. All around them were spirits and she had seen Nao walking by. 'Naru' had explained the womb cycling to Mai- the cave represented a mother's womb and by going through it, one would be reborn anew. Though Mai didn't understand why Nao was walking through it nor the concept as a whole, it still lingered in her mind.

A growling sound over the speakers was heard, causing the others to tense.

"What is that," Mai asked as Danny cringed.

"We found it in last night's data," Monk explained with a small frown.

"It sounds like a dinosaur snoring," John mused, causing Danny to laugh.

He nearly doubled over in laughter at John's odd statement, but the others did their best to ignore him. Danny quickly sobered up, however, as a ringing sound was heard.

"A fire," Mai exclaimed as they all rushed to find the source, "It's somewhere in the main building!"

It didn't take them long to find where the flames were. Monk, John and the others all rushed to try to put the large fire out, but Danny was frozen in the background away from the flames. He lingered back, the flames reflecting in his eyes. The image of his parents' bodies flashed in his mind. Lin's voice brought him back to reality.

"Naru," Lin realized before sprinting in the other direction.

"Wait," Mai called, "I'll come with you!"

"Me too," Danny quickly added.

The two of them ran behind Lin, following him toward the storage room where Naru was staying at, leaving the others to tend to the flames. When they arrived to the room where Naru was, they found Kazuyasu pounding at the door to the storage room with a large kitchen knife. From the crazed look in his eyes, it was obvious the man was possessed.

"Stop it," Lin shouted, "If you enter the room, I can guarantee you will die!"

Mai let out a small gasp as she backed away from the scene. Danny, however, stepped forward, knowing that Lin's _shiki _and the wards would hurt or kill the man at the least. Danny began to chant.

_"Lasu ke korpo nun-"_

He didn't get to finish as Kazuyasu leapt forward, swinging the knife dangerously. Danny dodged easily, but Lin got scraped on the shoulder. Kazuyasu growled at everyone before leaping through the doorway at a quick pace. Lin and Danny were quick to follow the man, but Kazuyasu jumped out the window and onto the roof.

"Get the others," Danny ordered Mai, "But make sure someone is watching base! Hurry, Mai!"

With ease, the large possessed man jumped from the roof to roof before hitting the ground. Lin and Danny shared a nod before they followed the same route. Lin struggled to get his balance, while Danny moved with an unnatural ease- something that didn't go unnoticed by Lin. _But now is not the time to dwell on it,_ Lin thought irritated as they continued to follow the man.

Mai ran as fast as she could to get John, Yasuhara and Monk. Together, they all ran outside the building where they spotted Danny and Lin about ten feet away from the possessed man. Kazuyasu was crotched down behind a bush with a sadistic grin on his face, snarling and growling.

"Careful," Lin called out to the others as they arrived, "He's using wind sickles!"

_The wind sickles,_ Danny thought with a scowl,_ every time I try to chant, he cuts me off with them. There's only so many times I can dodge them so easily before Lin gets suspicious. _Mai stood in the background, a good distance away from the action as she felt her heart pound. As she spotted the look on Kazuyasu's face, she felt a hand push her back and in her mind, she saw Nao fall to her death.

"You did it, didn't you," Mai called out loudly, "You're the one who killed the dogs and tampered with the car! And you killed Nao!"

"Just who the hell are you," Monk demanded harshly, "Why are you tormenting this family?! Just why are you here? Why did you want to release Naru? What is your purpose!?"

A wind sickle was sent toward Monk, scraping his shoulder, causing him to hiss. Kazuyasu stood up with a crazed look in his eyes.

"To kill," he growled, "Death to everyone!"

Danny tensed slightly and started to run toward Kazuyasu,

"Don't do it! Don't you dare kill this man! _Lasu__ ke korpo nun, ĉar la reĝo de la mortintoj, Mi ordonas ĝin. Restigu kaj neniam reveni aŭ alfronti la koleregon de mia povo!"_

Using force and strength, Danny tackled the larger man to the ground before Kazuyasu could jump off the edge of the cliff. Kazuyasu struggled in Danny's grip, surprising the others as Kazuyasu was a large strong man. _I guess Danny really is strong,_ Mai thought with awe. Danny repeated his chant again, his eyes flashing a vivid dangerous green. _Interesting,_ Lin noted as he narrowed his eyes at the scene. With great effort, Danny was able to secretly push the spirit out of Kazuyasu, causing the man to collapse.

With the large man down, Danny took deep breaths as he looked toward the man.

"…I won't let anyone else die, not on my watch," he whispered quietly to himself.


	38. The Cursed House Part XII

**Author Note: Please review!  
~CWA**

* * *

**CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN: THE CURSED HOUSE PART XII**

* * *

**Day Three (Continued)**

Everyone gathered in the main room to discuss what happened earlier that day. At this point, there were a few of them that wanted to leave. Danny wanted to stay, but Masako, Ayako and Mai weren't too sure. With all the death that was happening around them so quickly, did they really want to risk it? Yasuhara shook his head as he heard them voice a few complaints and concerns,

"We can't leave now with our tail between our legs. Then their deaths wouldn't have mattered…"

He grabbed some notes out of his bag as he continued,

"I did some research and I found out that the problem isn't with the Yoshimi family. It's with the location. This land used to own to the Fujisako family, but around one-hundred-and-fifty years ago, at the end of the Edo period, the family died off. Soon after the Yoshimi family bought it, but they died off after four generations. This current Yoshimi family is another branch from that tree, if you will, from the Kanazawa area."

"It explains why we only found records for the last two heads of the family," Monk chimed as he looked over Yasuhara's notes.

Yasuhara nodded and brought out another large stack of papers from his bag. Danny's eyes widened a bit at the amount of notes and briefly wondered how Yasuhara fit everything into his small bag. Yasu continued to speak,

"I did find something interesting. It's referred to the legend of ijin killings."

"What's ijin," Mai asked curiously.

"It refers to someone from another place," Danny pitched in.

Yasuhara nodded at Danny's explanation and continued where he left off,

"Back then, villages were close communities. So in addition to being suspicious of anyone else, if the stranger displayed any sort of power that impressed the villagers, they became an object of worship. In those days, aside from merchants, travelers were often heavily into religion. Most practiced shugeja ascetics and would go to villages to pray for rain for harvest or would exorcise goblins or evil spirits."

"Wow," Mai whispered, "It's almost like what we do."

Yasuhara showed a bit of amusement,

"Yes, long ago, you all would have been fine injins. Although customs change over the years, it's all basically the same."

They all nodded at the information as they thought it over briefly. Monk was the first to speak up with a grim expression,

"The family said that thirty-two years ago, three spiritualists died here. We can't leave this place until we clean it up… So tell us about this ijin killing legend."

_That's right,_ Danny thought, _if there's some sort of ijin killing legend and we're easily mistaken for injins, then that could explain the killings of the spiritualists._ Yasuhara cleared his throat and looked through his papers. Finally, he found what he was looking for and read it out loud.

"The 'Okobu' you were told about is apart of the story."

_Okobu,_ Mai repeated as she thought back to what she saw inside the cave. Danny thought of the same thing as he tensed slightly. Yasuhara continued to read off the paper,

"Long ago, three shugenja monks came to the village. They saw the Okobu and said it would bring a curse upon the village. So they exorcised it and the Okobu changed into a gold statue of Buddha. The shugenja said that only a curse on the statue itself would change it that way so they all built a shrine for it so it would be safe. However the village elder wanted the statue for himself and killed the monks on the beach. After that, the statue changed back into a piece of driftwood. The elder's family became plagued with misfortune and eventually died off. It was dubbed the Monks' Curse."

"Three shugenja monks," Monk whispered, "so maybe three Rokubu?"

"Rokubu," Mai questioned.

"Pilgrims that traveled around to the sixty-six sacred spots throughout the land and leave a copy of the holy sutra, or more commonly the Rokubu." Monk explained, "Those three mounds we found near the shrine, I wouldn't be surprised if they were the graves of the three monks that were killed here."

"Graves of the three Rokubu," Mai repeated before it dawned on her, "That's why they're called the 'sanroku' mounds."

"Yeah," Yasuhara nodded before he flipped through the papers, "Just hang on for just a second. I have something on Rokubu mounds somewhere…"

Yasuhara continued to look through the papers in search for the ones he was looking for. Ayako and Masako looked mildly annoyed at how Yasuhara was so unprepared and disorganized while Danny pitied the boy, familiar with how easy it was to get disorganized. _If it wasn't for Sam, I doubt I'd be able to find anything eventually, _Danny thought absently before Yasuhara found the paper.

"Here it is," Yasuhara explained, "In the year Bunkyu Two, or 1862, there was a revolt from the peasants in the area that was ultimately suppressed. The villagers turned over the five peasants that began the revolt in exchange for their own lives, but the men escaped. When they were caught by the mob chasing them, they were beheaded on the spot."

_Five of them,_ Mai thought as she remembered her odd dream and her hand went up to her neck as she remembered the sword coming down on her throat, _Danny wasn't in that dream because only five were caught. _

"There was then a series of strange events in the village," Yasuhara continued, "It didn't take long for the rumor of a curse to spread. But when a temple was put next to the mounds, the strange events stopped."

"But next to the mounds is right here," Ayako exclaimed.

"There's more," Yasuhara showed a bit of annoyance at her outburst as he continued, "After the leaders of the revolt were beheaded, they were given a proper burial, but legend has it if you disrespect the graves, strange growths will appear on your head and neck until your head falls off."

_Strange growths,_ Danny thought as his eyes narrowed; he thought of Hazuki and how the reason they had come to the case was because the girl had strange marks on her neck.

"Five graves," Monk muttered before he snapped his fingers, "The stones by the cape! That must be the graves!"

Mai's eyes widened as things clicked in her head. _Everyone who was possessed mentioned getting heads cut off or cursing from beyond the grave… That's what this is all about… _Everyone else seemed to make the same connections as they all shared a similar look of understanding. Danny stood up and popped his back, Monk following his lead.

"Alright," Monk got up and stretched, "Let's have a go at this then. Between the five revolt leaders and the three monks, which do you think is the culprit?"

"It might be a mix of the two," Danny chimed, but Yasuhara clicked his tongue.

"I don't know," Yasuhara stated, "There's not enough clues to just narrow it down to one."

"I guess we have to hit them both then," Monk stated simply.

Before anymore could be said, there was a loud banging from the hall. Danny felt an uneasy presence and tensed slightly as he looked around with narrowed eyes. Lin's eyes widened as the alarms on the screen went down,

"The temperature is dropping fast," Lin exclaimed.

He didn't have time to say much more as all the lights went off. The banging had stopped, but there was growling all around. Mai mentioned the 'sleeping dinosaur' causing Danny to bite his tongue, knowing that it wasn't the time to laugh.

"No," Monk shook his head, "I don't know about you guys, but I'm convinced the Okobu is behind this. John, Danny come with me."

Monk left the room at a quick pace, John and Danny quickly following suit. Yet Danny could still feel the presence behind him in the room where the others were. He threw a concerned look over his shoulder before convincing himself that it would alright. _The Okobu is going to be more dangerous. If I don't go with Monk and John, something bad is going to happen… I just hope Lin and Ayako can protect the others…_


	39. The Cursed House Part XIII

**Author Note: Please review!  
~CWA**

* * *

**CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT: THE CURSED HOUSE PART XIII**

* * *

**Day Three (Continued)**

It wasn't long after the three men left that a tapping on the window got everyone's attention. Mai stepped back slightly as a hand reached down from the roof and tapped on the window. It was pale and bloody. Just seeing it was enough for her to know it wasn't alive anymore. She bit her lip and looked in horror as a spirit came from, hitting the window with their bloody hands, their face was messy and disfigured. Another spirit showed, slamming their hands against the wall. They watched in horror as spirit after spirit appeared at the wall. All of them were bloody, disfigured, and dark as they slammed their hands against the window, smearing blood everywhere across it.

Slowly, the windows began to crack before they shattered completely allowing the zombie-like spirits to enter the building. Lin whistled harshly, summoning his _shiki_ to their aid as Ayako stood in front of the group,

_"Rin pyo to sha kai jin retsu zai zen,"_ she chanted as she made gestures in the air with her hands.

The chant caused the first wave of zombies to fall down, but more kept coming.

"Mai," Ayako ordered, "They're already dead so don't hold back!"

Ayako used her foot to kick one of the zombies out of the window, but Mai was frozen in fear as she watched a familiar zombie crawl through the windows. _Nao… But why would she be here? _Another zombie started to crawl away from the group and headed toward the area that Naru was, causing Lin to chant as well.

"_Rin pyo to sha kai jin retsy zai gyo!"_

The zombie was launched backward away from the storage room's doors. _Do they want Naru,_ Mai thought horrified, _or do they want the spirit possessing him?_ She started to chant as well, trying to knock out a few zombies, but wind sickles were sent her way that scraped up her arms. The zombies kept crawling toward the group as wind sickles scraped Mai and the others up badly. _We're cornered and outnumbered… We need Naru's help! _She put a hand over the bleeding arm, but she could chant no longer. Masako and Yasuhara were corned to the back of the wall, practically useless in the fight.

Thankfully, help had finally arrived as a golden knife soared through the air and landed in front of the zombies. Monk and Danny ran through the doors toward the group with hardened expressions. Monk ignored the wind sickles that tore away at his skin and clothes as he ran toward the window. Danny quickly stood in front of Mai and the others in a protective manner and if Mai squinted, she could see green waves in the air that seemed to form a shield around them.

"_On kirikiri bazara bajiri hora manda manda un hatta,_" Monk chanted before repeating it as he headed toward the window with another knife in his hand.

Knowing that Monk was about to set up a ward at the window, Danny stepped in to help as he activated his own powers. The powerful aura urged through the air, sending a wave of comfort and warmth toward Mai and the others causing them to relax. Danny clenched his fists and raised it forward, causing a powerful invisible blast that sent the zombies out the window where they came. With the zombies now falling toward the ground and out of the room, Monk collapsed near the window, shoving the knife in front of it as he finished his chant.

"Let's see those bastards try to get in now," Monk panted.

"Where's Father Brown," Lin questioned as Ayako and the others let out huffs of exhaustion.

Danny dropped his shield, no longer feeling the presence near and having trust in Monk's wards.

"He went to get Akifumi and the rest of the family," Danny explained, "He should be here in no time."

"Did they show up down there too," Mai asked as she grew so tired that she fell to her knees.

"That's putting it lightly," Danny said dryly, "They're getting mobbed by drowned corpses, but John seems to have it covered."

"What is this," Monk huffed, "A zombie movie?"

They were cut off by a scream, snapping them back into reality as they rushed toward the source. It didn't take long to find the family huddled together against a wall with John standing in front of them as he fought off a few white spirits. The spirits looked almost like white slashes as they darted through the air, trying to hurt someone or something. They kept making dashes at John, but using his cross he was able to fend them off of him. Like the rest of the group, John didn't seem to be in good shape with scrapes and cuts covering him, his hair was a mess, and Danny was pretty sure that he was spiritually/emotionally tired as well. _But that won't stop him or us,_ Danny thought grimly as he ran over to help.

"Make it to the base," Danny instructed, "It's safe there!"

He dodged a white spirit that made a pass at him as he tried to get closer to the family. Making his way through the hall as if it was a severe obstacle course, dodging slash after slash. His eyes started to glow green a bit as the situation caused his patience to thin. _No one's been fatally hurt yet,_ Danny chanted in his mind.

"Whatever you do," John shouted, "Don't let those white things touch you!"

Danny gave a curt nod. He was a bit weakened after all the running and he was trying hard to not go into another coughing fit. Yet he could feel his chest restricting with each breath he took. _No time. Have to help. _His aura pulsed around him as another spirit made a pass at him. With his hand steady, he made a chopping motion toward the spirit, discretely powering the motion with a nearly-invisible ectoblast. The spirit disappeared, but there were others to take care of. Danny made another step forward, but hesitated as he tried to catch his breath.

"Danny, be careful," both Monk and Mai called out, but Danny didn't answer as he gasped her air.

Danny was forced to take his attention away from everything as he grabbed his inhaler to use it, knowing that he would be no help if he collapsed, still dodging spirits as he did so.

"I'm going to put a shield up over everyone when I get over there," Danny explained carefully, chopping another spirit, "My range for it isn't that large so when I get over there, everyone has to stick close together!"

The family nodded in understanding, but their eyes were still wide with fear. Danny's back was toward the SPR group as he walked over there carefully. Mai watched in horror as she saw a white spirit make a dash for her, going straight through her as blood poured out. Yet when she blinked, it was gone and when she touched her stomach, there was no wound or blood. _But… I thought it went right through me…_ Monk turned around briefly to look at Mai,

"Mai? What's wrong?"

"Monk," Mai called, "Look out!"

A white spirit made a dash at Monk's ankle, slashing at it badly enough to cause him to cry out. He hunched over and cradled the injury, muttering about how it hurt like hell. Mai was about to make sure he was okay, but his face scrunched up in a deep scowl as he stood back up,

"I'm fine… I'm just _angry… Kyata hanjasa hadaya sowaka,"_ Monk chanted, causing the spirits to turn red, "Now open the door!"

Danny was the closest to a door and opened it. The spirits were forced to obey Monk's chant as they left quickly, disappearing through the door, barely missing Danny as they did so. Danny shut the door with a tired sigh as everyone started to relax. Nearly everyone collapsed to the ground on their knees as Monk just laid on the floor on his back. Ayako and Masako started to light up the candles for more light as everyone gathered together. Danny was the one to gather them all closer together before he put up a shield using his powers. Mai squinted and she could see the faint green ripples in the air around them forming a dome. _So that was that was earlier. He made a shield._

"The floor's never felt so comfortable," Monk whined as he stretched out.

"We can all get some rest," Masako announced.

"So what are we going to do now," Mai asked as she yawned.

"Wait until morning," Monk said, a bit of hope in his voice, "We all need some rest and with Danny's shield up along with my wards, we're safe. By morning, things should die down a little."

Mai nodded in understanding as Danny tensed briefly before he relaxed, letting the shield down briefly in one spot for Lin's _shiki_ to return to Naru. Lin noticed the action and gave Danny a curt nod of thanks. Masako looked at the two curiously as she had sensed the presence of the hollow spirits.

"My _shiki _have returned," Lin announced, causing Masako to relax.

"Your _shiki,"_ Masako repeated, "…Now it makes sense why all the spirits felt so hollow…. All the ones that possessed Naru and the children are in the service of someone else. They're basically slaves without control. These are feelings are so strong that they can't go to rest…"

"I thought as much," Danny agreed, "But there's no use dwelling on it now…Everyone needs to get some rest."

"But what about you," Monk asked curiously, never moving from his spot on the floor, "The shield is one of your psychic abilities, right? If you go to sleep, won't the shield drop?"

Danny's lips tightened into a thin line, causing the others to protest as well.

"He's right," Mai exclaimed, "You need to get some rest too."

"My_ shiki_ can protect everyone," Lin offered.

"You can't just stay up all night," Yasuhara chimed in weakly, causing John to nod.

"It'll be bad for your health and since it's pretty bad to begin with, you need your rest…"

Danny, however, stood his ground. He shook his head sternly and narrowed his eyes,

"I can and _will_ stay up all night. It won't be the first time staying up all night after such… extreme events, so I'll be fine…"

Lin was still stubborn as he frowned.

"No. I can't allow you to just stay up all night after all this. You already almost collapsed when fighting those spirits from an asthma attack. Go to bed."

"Nu-uh," Danny argued, "If it makes you feel better, I'll just meditate throughout the night. The shield's will be able to stay up and I'll still be conscious, but my body will get the rest it needs. I swear."

Lin and Danny stared at each other before finally Lin broke away,

"Fine. Just don't overdo it."

Danny nodded and it wasn't too long before everyone had fallen asleep, tired from all the events. Danny sat in a criss-cross position with his hands on his knees before he finally closed his eyes to get the must needed meditation.

_I just hope that tomorrow we can settle this once and for all._


	40. The Cursed House Part XIV

**Author Note: Thank you for the reviews, favorites and follows!  
~CWA**

* * *

**CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE: THE CURSED HOUSE PART XIV**

* * *

**Day Four**

The next morning, as everyone slowly started to wake up, they wasted no time in getting back to business. Monk had stayed up the previous night, against Danny's wishes, in order to keep up his wards by the windows. All night Monk had watched Danny meditate and he would be lying if he said that he wasn't curious about the white aura that had surrounded Danny during his meditation.

Monk got up and stretched before he reached down and poked Danny in the shoulder. Danny's eyes shot open and he looked a bit panicked before he realized where he was.

"Please don't do that again," Danny said, his eye twitching a bit in annoyance, "When I meditate, I get really into it and when people surprise me like that, I tend to act on instinct. Last time that happened, I threw someone into a wall."

Monk shrugged,

"Sorry man, but it's time we head out toward the mounds."

"The mounds," Mai asked curiously, "Why are you going there?"

"You heard the sutra last night," Monk explained, "That means the three monks are behind all of this. With all the spirits from the sea along with all the people that died here over the centuries, they would have plenty to do their bidding."

"So many innocent souls," John added sadly.

"We have no choice," Monk continued, "We have to act now."

"I'll do it," Ayako offered, causing the group to look at her in shock, "You are practically staggering. You need some rest."

"No offense, but I don't think you can handle it," Monk argued.

"I wouldn't be offering if I couldn't," Ayako snapped, "And Danny seems to be in perfectly good health from his meditation. If something goes wrong, he can help us handle it."

"She's right," Danny chimed, "I'm fully charged after the mediation, I'll gladly help in whatever way I can as long this gets done soon."

* * *

It took awhile before everything was set up near the trees in preparation for Ayako. Even Ayako herself was dressed in the traditional kimono with her hair tied back as she poured water into several containers.

"There's a very old presence here," she stated calmly, "And the trees are very alive."

"The trees," Mai questioned in confusion.

"Yes. When I was young, we had a huge camphor tree in front of the house. It was gorgeous and it taught me a lot of the things I still keep with me today. It even told me when the patients at my parents' hospital would die. Whenever I told my parents, they just scolded me. To be honest, when you get down to it, I don't have much power of my own. However, I am still a priestess."

She knelt down with a branch that had a few bells tied to it, sticking it into the ground. As she stood back up, she began.

"I stand here today to beseech the gods. I call upon them to join us where no gods dwell. To end this suffering. I ask that my humble plea be heard, and peace be restored onto the spirits that are trapped in this haunted place."

Danny closed his eyes as he felt the calming presence go through the air. He breathed deeply as it nipped at his skin, causing a few Goosebumps. When the presence felt that Danny was not trapped at the location, it continued through the air causing the trees to whistle. _I don't get it,_ Mai thought as she felt the presence, _she's reciting the prayer she always does, but this time, something's different. It feels like the air is getting cleaner. _

"May this grove reflect the high Heavenly Plain," Ayako recited as she closed her eyes in prayer, "May the gods from all corners come together as one…_ Rin pyo to sha kai jin retsu zai zen._"

With each word she spoke, the bell on the branch jingled. Monk and the others looked a bit amazed that Ayako was doing something productive. The spirits came forth peacefully, white and wistful. Some even glanced at Danny briefly with sadness before they disappeared. The bell jingled as each spirit disappeared into it, bringing everyone to pay close attention to it. It wasn't long before the zombie-like spirits appeared as well, but they did no harm as they stepped forward. Danny watched carefully, prepared for a fight that wouldn't come. Ayako calmly grabbed the branch from the ground, causing it to jingle as she did so, before she turned to the zombie spirits.

"Come. The time for you to rest has finally arrived."

She waved the branch through the air and with each jingle of the bell, a spirit disappeared. The zombie spirits transformed into normal people before they disappeared with smiles on their faces. _Every time she rings the bell, a spirit disappeared, _Mai thought, _is it possible that all of them are coming here because they want to be purified? _As the last of the 'zombies' disappeared, the three spirits of the monks appeared from the mounds. Ayako was quick to turn to them and wave the branch, causing them to be purified as well, causing the mounds to crack. When she was finished, she placed the branch into the ground and then clapped her hands, causing the bell to fall off the branch.

The all looked a bit amazed and surprised, but Danny was just smiling as he enjoyed feeling the cleansing around him.

"Ayako," Mai exclaimed, "How come you never told us you were that powerful?"

"It's not like I hid it," Ayako smirked, "I said I only use it when I knew it will work. I didn't bring it up because I didn't want it to sound like an excuse… Up until now, there's never been live trees. You may have noticed the elder spirits that had appeared, the ones with beards, they are the spirits of the trees and I basically borrow their power. If the tree's lost its spirit, it's basically dead. My rituals don't even have to be done near a shrine. Any shrine or temple in the city is in poor shape, but the trees? No matter what their age, they are always the safe."

"Good thing the mounds are near the grove," Monk mused, "If they weren't, how could you have done this?"

"As long as they are somewhere nearby," Ayako said simply, "I can summon the spirits anywhere I need them to be."

"Then why didn't you do it when we exorcised Eijiro," Mai asked curiously.

"It doesn't work on people," Ayako smiled, "I can only purify spirits. Besides when I utilize a tree, I have to let it rest for six months before I can use it again."

"So I guess that's it then," Mai asked hopefully as her eyes lit up.

The light of hope in her eyes diminished as both Ayako and Danny shook their heads.

"I only purify spirits," Ayako said, "And there's another presence on this land. Something different."

"And it's powerful," Danny chimed in, "I think it's been using everything as their _shiki_, including the monks and there's only one thing that can harness that much power- the Okobu."

"The piece of driftwood in the cave," Monk mused, "They built it a shrine in the cave, which makes it a true _'yebisu.'…"_

Mai's eyes widened as she understood.

"_.._Which means we're going to have to take on a god…"


	41. The Cursed House Part XV

**Author Note: Please review!  
~CWA**

* * *

**CHAPTER FORTY: THE CURSED HOUSE PART XV**

* * *

**Day Three (Continued)**

When the group returned back to base, Mai was thrilled to see Naru was not only awake but clearly not possessed anymore. _Of course! When Ayako purified the spirits, she purified the one in Naru too,_ Mai realized. Danny gave a nod of hello toward Naru as he glanced toward the storage room, with Naru awake the warding lost its hold. _What was once a powerful protection is now just a messy pile of salt,_ Danny shook his head but noticed that the salt had already been cleaned up. He plopped down on a seat as Ayako huffed.

"You know," she stated at Naru, "A thank you would be nice. I had to put back a lot of past resentments to save you."

"It's good to see you're awake," John commented.

However, Naru just turned his head away without saying anything causing Mai and the others to huff a bit. Ayako openly glared at the young man as Yasuhara piqued up,

"He's kind of in a foul mood."

"As usual," Mai growled.

"So," Monk stated, "It turned out it wasn't the monks behind this but rather the-"

"-Okobu," Naru cut him off, causing them to look at him in surprise.

"How did you know," Mai asked.

"My brain works differently than yours."

_Oh that's a thinly veiled insult,_ Danny winced as the others glared at Naru. Mai raised her fist in a threatening manner, wanting nothing more than to hit Naru. However, Monk held her back as Naru continued to speak.

"There's a shrine and behind it there's a cave with a smaller shrine in it," Naru explained, "There you could find an Okobu. There's a path to it outside carved by the sea into the stone. Now why would those be constructed? It's the divine figure in the shrine. Its presence meant they had no other choice but to build it. They wouldn't have gone that far for some measly god. Whatever god it is, it has enough power to influence people to do its bidding. According to the legends, if the _iwai_ neglected to worship it, calamity would ensue."

"What are _iwai,"_ Mai asked curiously.

"Priests," Danny answered casually, before Naru continued.

"The house caused a separation," Naru added, "And the Okobu believes that whomever lives here should worship it. So when the tenants moved in and neglected to worship it, they were cursed."

_Naru is amazing,_ Mai thought with awe, _he solved it all with ease! _Danny nodded at Naru's explanation, not very surprised that Naru solved it all so quickly. However, Naru still continued to speak.

"We have to perform an exorcism on the Okobu."

"Is that necessary," Monk asked, "All it needs is to be worshipped, right?"

Danny scowled as he growled slightly, bringing everyone's attention to him. He thought of Pariah Dark's need to be worshipped despite not being an actual god which caused a bit of anger to bubble up inside of him at the thought of everyone Pariah killed (both ghosts and people) who refused to bow before him. Then another image came to mind- a large ghost with blue skin, red eyes and a sadistic personality. _Dan,_ Danny thought with venom. _He's just as bad as Pariah Dark, if not worse! _When it became clear that Danny wasn't going to speak, they turned their attention back on Naru.

"No," Naru stated simply, "If the worship is neglected again, the cures will just continue."

"This may only be a _yebisu,_" Monk argued, "But it's still a god! That's a lot worse than just a monster. Need I remind you that you said that you can't hunt monsters!"

"You've got to be kidding," Naru smirked as his eyes hardened, "I had a wonderful time being possessed. It would be downright rude of me to not return the favor in full…."

"And what about you Danny," Monk continued, "I know you said that you supposedly hunt monsters, but this is a lot worse."

"Trust me, there's nothing worse than a monster who believes itself to be a god," Danny muttered darkly, "And to me, this Okobu is just a glorified monster…. Come on, we have an exorcism to do…"

He stood up harshly and left the room. With no other choice, the others followed him.

* * *

The cave was dark as they stood in front of the Okobu. The driftwood didn't seem as distorted to Mai as it did in her dream, but it gave off an eerie feeling. Danny stood off to the side, allowing the others to perform their exorcism first as he prepared to fight off anything the Okobu may throw at them. Monk was dressed in his traditional kimono for the exorcism and at Naru's word, Monk began.

"_On habahaba kiuta sabataruma sabasaba kitsudo kan,"_ Monk chanted, _"on data gato nau bebaya sowaka on bata mari au habaya sowaka."_

As Monk continued to chant, there was a dark aura that surrounded them inside the cave. Danny tensed slightly as a loud thumping noise could be heard.

"Is that a heartbeat," Mai whispered.

Masako let out a gasp of fear as she moved away from the walls, Danny catching her as she fumbled a bit. Curious, Mai placed her hand on the wall. Doing so caused her face to pale and her heart beat louder. _The rock is pulsing and it's warm like a person's skin,_ Mai thought with horror. There was breathing noises and Ayako exclaimed,

"Now it's breathing! It's almost like the cave is a living being!"

"Takigawa," Yasuhara exclaimed, "The entrance is closing!"

Monk turned around only to see that Yasuhara was correct. The entrance to the cave was moving as it were alive, closing up to seal them in. Danny's jaw clenched, but Naru gave him a look as if to say that it wasn't time to do anything drastic. Danny trusted Naru and against his instinct, stayed put.

"It will open back up when we terminate the source," Naru explained loudly.

Ayako started to pant heavily as she covered her ears to block out the breathing noise. Everyone was on edge and it didn't help as it continued to get worse. Screaming spirits came from the ceiling and sank down toward the group, causing John to snap into action.

"In the beginning there was the Word," John recited as he held the Bible, "And the Word was with God and the Word was God…."

As John recited the passage of the Bible, the screaming spirits started to disappear. With the screaming spirits gone, John stopped. However, more spirits soon appeared like white blades, dashing toward the group. Danny looked at Naru briefly as if to say, _'okay Mom, now can I do something?'_ Naru gave a small curt nod and Danny took that as a signal. He thrust his arms upward as he felt his power pulse off of him. The shield shot forward, pushing away the spirits as Lin whistled to get his _shiki_ to attack the ones that Danny missed.

All around Mai, everyone was praying and reciting exorcisms as they fought off the spirits. Danny was able to get a majority was them, concentrating the shield to a smaller more powerful one to push away spirits that got too close. Though the sprits were not giving up without a fight. As spirits disappeared, more appeared to take their place, leaving most of the group tired quickly.

The spirits on the walls started to turn red as Monk completed his exorcism, stabbing the Okobu with his golden knife. The force of the Okobu thrust Monk backwards far enough that he hit a nearby wall.

"John, use the _valhra_ to destroy the driftwood," Monk panted as his back flared up with pain.

Danny cast his shield around the group keeping the spirits out, but leaving the Okobu in so they could perform the last of the exorcism. John didn't need to be told twice as he ran over toward the Okobu. _This isn't a ghost,_ Danny thought with regret, _I can't just order it to stop and I'm not sure how to properly exorcise it… _As John took the knife out and went to hit the wood again, the Okobu used a force to thrust John back as well, causing the knife to fly out of his hand. Yasuhara went next, running quickly to get the knife, but just like John, the Okobu took no mercy as it thrust him backward. He hit the wall hard enough that his glasses flew off.

"Yasu," Mai exclaimed, "Are you okay?"

"Well," Yasuhara coughed, "I'm still alive."

They didn't have time to dawdle as Naru stepped forward. His face, like usual, was calm and showed no fear.

"Is that all you got," Naru exclaimed loudly.

His words caused Mai to snap. She stood up to Naru with a glare, shouting at him as her last nerve broke,

"Why don't you just shut up already!? Why should we have to go this far for the sake of your pride?! What are you, stupid!? How about you stop relying on others and do it yourself!?"

Naru's face showed emotion as Mai ranted. When she finally finished, he spoke calmly.

"Point taken."

Mai let out a frustrated huff and went over to help Monk off the ground,

"Come on, let's go. We've done enough already."

"Sorry to let you down, Naru," Monk whispered, his voice hoarse, "But we just can't do it…"

Danny dropped his shield as all the spirits had stopped and looked toward Mai and the group with a sorrowful expression as they started to leave. He shook his head,

"I'll try to destroy it, but I'm not giving up…"

Mai nodded as the group started to leave. Lin carried Monk and John as Ayako and Masako helped Yasuhara with his balance. Naru, however, wasn't going anywhere as he started to walk toward the Okobu alone.

"What are you doing," Mai questioned loudly, her voice still showing her anger.

"Naru," Lin turned around, "Don't do it!"

Naru stopped right in front of the Okobu and if Mai looked closely she could see the electricity zapping around him. Mai and Danny were the only ones to get closer to Naru, daring enough to do so. Mai couldn't get that far as air flew off of Naru. _It's like air is coming out of Naru… It's so thick… I feel like there's a film around my body…_ Naru's face remained impassive as he began to show his abilities. Danny managed to get close enough to give Naru a nod of encouragement,

"I'll help in any way I can," he said simply, "My battery's almost on full power…"

He winked slightly and Naru nodded in understanding. Danny used his own abilities, causing him to light up. His powerful protecting aura swept around everyone. A white aura surrounded both Danny and Naru with a thick air. Danny focused his energy and power. They could all see the neon green aura that whipped out of Danny and flowed into Naru like electricity. Naru could feel the strange powerful energy run through his veins, filling him with power. He barely had time to focus on it, noting that it was foreign and slightly inhumane. _What are they doing,_ Mai wondered, _my ears are ringing and everything looks distorted… _Naru raised his hands as they lit up with a flaming symbol and with one swoop, he shot it toward the Okobu.

The force was enough to destroy it. The others looked at Naru in astonishment, not knowing that he had abilities as well and they all wondered what it was that he did. _And how much did Danny help? _Almost instantly Masako could feel the lack of presence.

"It's gone," she whispered, "The presence is gone. This is no longer sacred ground…All the other spirits left as well…"

"Let's go," Naru stated simply.

No one needed to be told twice as they left the cave eager to get out of the place. They didn't get too far before Danny started to sway. Naru and Mai caught him as he gave them a goofy grin. The others of the group looked back briefly, but Danny waved them off.

"Are you okay," Mai asked in concern.

"Just low on energy," Danny panted before clearing his throat.

He took a deep breath and with a few moments, he was able to stand up fully again. Mai nodded and with her help, the two continued down the beach side with SPR, Naru lagged toward the back. Yet as they were halfway toward the group, there was a loud THUD. Turning around, everyone noticed that Naru had fallen face-first onto the ground.

"Naru!" Mai called out in concern.

Lin quickly let go of Monk and John to run toward Naru. He flipped Naru over onto his back and put his ear to his chest. When there was no breathing, Lin's eyes widened as he began to perform CPR. _Is Naru not breathing,_ Mai thought with horror. The others looked horrified as well. When not even CPR worked, he slapped Naru in frustration,

"Breath damn it!"

Danny rushed over to help, but collapsed on the ground seconds later, causing Mai to scream. At the sight of two of his friends down, John quickly snapped into action.

"I'll call an ambulance!"


	42. The Cursed House Part XVI

**Author Note: And in the next case, they'll get to know one of Danny's secrets and the case _after_ the next one is when they learn he's half ghost. I know this is getting long, but I did say it will be a long fic. By far, one of the longest fics, if not _the_ longest, I've done.**

**~CWA**

* * *

**CHAPTER FORTY-ONE: THE CURSED HOUSE PART XVI**

* * *

**Day Four (Continued)**

It took a while, longer than anyone liked, for both Kazuya Shibuya and Daniel Fenton to be put into a nearby hospital. They had to share a room, which they suspected neither of them would be pleased about, yet it had to be done. Mai was the one in hysterics, however, as they were all forced to wait outside in the waiting room since neither of their friends were ready for visitors.

"Is Qigong really that dangerous," she protested, "It can heal illnesses though, right!? So what made Naru end up in the hospital!?"

"You have to understand something," Lin said gently as he knelt down, putting his hands on Mai's shoulders, "The extent of Naru's powers are a league of their own and while I can't speak for Danny, I suspect he is the same as well… But as for Naru, since childhood he has caused poltergeists. I taught him how to use Qigong to control the energy that flowed from his body since it was too much for his conscious mind to handle alone. But the power Naru has is too much for one person. When he uses his power, his body can't keep up, and this happens…"

"This is all my fault," Mai sobbed, "The only reason he used it was because I provoked him!"

"It's his fault," Lin snapped, "He was the one who allowed himself to be provoked. He knew exactly what could happen in that situation and if he was thinking clearly, it wouldn't have happened…"

Lin's expression softened as Mai continued to cry. Lin continued to speak,

"Listen, he'll be okay, Mai… If it wasn't for Danny, I suspect Naru wouldn't even have been able to hold out as long as he did. But I should warn you, he won't be in a good mood when he wakes up."

Mai sniffled before smiling softly in agreement. Monk noticed the exchange and looked over curiously,

"Speaking of, what exactly did Danny do? He knows Qigong is dangerous so I doubt he actually performed it himself alongside Naru."

"He didn't perform Qigong," Lin shook his head, "Danny simply transferred all of his energy into Naru so that Naru would hopefully end up okay. This gave Naru more energy for his body to perform Qigong a bit more safely. Obviously, even with the added energy, it wasn't enough. But like I said, if it wasn't for Danny, it's likely Naru would have ended up in a much worse shape…."

* * *

It wasn't until a few days later that both Naru and Danny finally woke up. As expected, they weren't thrilled about sharing room or even in the hospital. Danny had been a bit surprised that no doctor or nurse had questioned him about any strange results. _I suspect Clockwork has something to do with it, _he mused, _that ol' stopwatch… _He glanced toward Mai, who had a small smile on her face.

_Everything is back to normal_, Mai thought almost wistfully, _Naru is back to his overly-confident, self-centered, and most importantly narcissist self. Just the way we like him… The Yoshimi family case is finally resolved and they held a funeral for those lost in the family as well. It's a bit sad, but I'm just glad that all of it's over… _Currently, the whole team was gathered inside of the hospital room to Naru's annoyance.

"It's bad enough I have to deal with that," he jabbed a thumb toward Danny, who was grinning cheekily, "Do you all have to be so loud as well?"

_Yep,_ Mai thought dryly, _Back to normal…_ Monk and the others were all grinning as opposed to being annoyed at Naru's statement. Everyone was just happy that Naru, along with Danny, was in good health and back to normal. _This would make a perfect picture- Monk, Lin, Masako, Ayako, and Yasuhara all laughing and gathering around Naru and Danny,_ Mai absently thought as she watched everyone interact, _I may be an orphan, but I do have a family… _

"Um not to put a bummer on these good feelings," Danny spoke up, "But does anyone know where my phone is? Because I think I need to call my girlfriend…"

Mai and the others, aside from Lin and Naru, paled a bit as they coughed nervously, realizing that they forgot something like that. _How could I be so stupid,_ Mai scolded herself, _Sam is his girlfriend and they're so close. She deserves to know what happened. She probably doesn't even know he's in the hospital! _

"The doctors called her," Naru stated simply, "I overheard one of the nurses speaking about it as soon as we woke up. Apparently you were doing so fine that they didn't think to call the one person on your emergency contact list. Stupid mistake, really… I assume she'll be here soon enough…"

"Great," Monk grinned as he elbowed Danny, "That means we finally get to meet her!"

Ayako, John, and Yasuhara laughed in agreement, teasing Danny about meeting his girlfriend as Masako and Mai both giggled to themselves. Danny coughed nervously.

"Uh you know what, I'd really like my phone to call her so she doesn't come here…"

"What you don't want us meeting her," Monk put a hand over his heart with a feign hurt expression, but Danny just shook his head,

"Oh no! It's not that… I just kind of… Pranked her before I came here? As in switched her shampoo with hair dye… I strategically planned this so I wouldn't be there when her hair got dyed… But oh man, she's going to kill me…"

He smiled goofily, but his face had paled considerably at the mention of the prank. John furrowed his brows,

"I didn't peg you for the pranking type."

"Well, I am," Danny huffed, "It's a bad habit. I don't prank as often as I used to, but when I do prank, _I go big._ And Sam just happens to be the easiest target… She's knows it's all in good faith though and trust me, her revenge pranks are even worse than mine!"

Danny laughed at the mention of it, causing the others to relax. _Well,_ Mai reasoned, _I guess it's okay to prank every once in a while if she doesn't get mad about it. It seems like pranking each other is just what they do. That's kind of cute… _Yasuhara seemed the most thrilled at the mention of pranks as he made mental notes to conspire with Danny for future pranks.

"So what color did you dye her hair," Ayako asked curiously with an amused smile.

"Her least favorite color," Danny grinned, "_Pink_. This will be the best… But I have to admit, I'm almost scared to see what she'll do to me in return…"

As soon as he finished speaking, the doors to the room burst open. Ellie ran in with a big grin on her face as she spotted Danny. She wasted no time in jumping into his hospital bed with him with an excited grin.

"Danny," she exclaimed as she cheered, "You're okay!"

She then leaned in closely to whisper to him. Being as young as she was, her whisper wasn't that quiet, allowing everyone to hear her clearly.

"Sam is mad. If you want, I can distract her. I ran here faster than she could so I could warn you."

Danny laughed as he swung Ellie off the bed gently. He ruffled her hair playfully,

"Appreciated, but not needed. I have accepted my fate."

He winked at her, but Ellie just shook her head.

"Okay if you say so, but it's your funeral."

She sighed in a huff as she plopped down on a nearby chair that was so big she was nearly lost in it. As soon as she sat down, another person came into the room. The others could safely assume that the woman was his girlfriend, Sam Manson. She didn't look like most of them had expected her to look. She had tattoos and piercings with a rough aura around her. Her shoulder length hair was a vivid bright pink, but her violet eyes blazed with fury as she stormed over to Danny, not acknowledging anyone else.

"_Daniel James Fenton,_" she growled perilously, "First you didn't call to let me know you were in the hospital and then _this…"_

Lin hid a small chuckle at the sight, but the others openly laughed (aside from Naru who hid his smirk). Danny showed no fear as he burst into laughter. Sam stormed over, her combat boots stomping as she went. She showed no mercy as she hit Danny in his shoulder, playfully, but it was obviously hard enough to make Danny wince. He continued to laugh, however, as the others watched the scene in amusement.

"Hey," Danny greeted with a goofy grin, "If you're Pinky, does that make me the Brain?"

"It makes you dead," Sam said, her voice coming out flat which sent Danny into another fit of laughter.

As Danny laughed, Sam sighed and finally saw that there were other people in the room as well. She smiled apologetically,

"Name's Sam. You must be the SPR group Danny's told me about… Thanks for keeping this idiot out of trouble."

"I'm perfectly capable of staying out of trouble," Danny protested through his laughter, but his comment went ignored.

"It's not a problem," Monk grinned as he stepped forward, "You must be the girlfriend that we've heard about! I'm Takigawa Houshou, but everyone calls me Monk. This is Ayako, John, Yasuhara and Masako. You already know Mai. The grim one is Lin and the one in the bed is Naru."

"Pleasure," Sam gave a curt nod before she glanced back to Danny briefly, "…Does anyone want to tell me what landed him here?"

She placed a hand on her hip as a dangerous aura surrounded her. _Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned,_ Mai thought as she gulped.

"That would be my fault," Naru finally spoke up, "I preformed Qigong and it took a toll on my body. Danny lent me his energy to keep me alive. I owe my life to him."

Naru gave a nod of thanks to Danny, which Danny nodded back in acknowledgement. Sam gave a small smile as she looked at Danny lovingly,

"Yeah, that's his stupid heroic complex."

"I don't have a hero complex," Danny grumbled, but he looked at Sam with adoring eyes as he spoke.

Monk and the others smiled in good nature as they saw the exchange. _It's pretty clear they love each other, _Mai thought with a kind smile, _they are really sweet and they can't stop staring at each other. _Yasuhara cheered slightly,

"So Sam, mind sharing any stories about Danny? We heard you're the one to go to."

Sam got a wicked grin on her face as Danny looked at her in horror.

"Sam, please… Don't…"

"Why I'd be happy share," Sam stated cheerfully, causing Danny to admit defeated, "I think you'd find the fact that this idiot has been caught with his pants down so many times that the _teacher _got him a belt very interesting!"

"Oh no," Danny muttered under his breath.

* * *

Mai and the team visited once a day while Naru and Danny recovered, yet during the nights they were left alone with just each other, Lin, Sam and Ellie as company. Sam and Lin both refused repeatedly to leave; in Lin's case, he didn't want to leave Naru alone as he was the bodyguard but in Sam's case, she loved Danny too much to just leave him. When one got Sam, Ellie was a given to stay as well.

One night, it was mostly quiet aside from Ellie playing around with the unlucky Lin. As much as he wanted to decline the little girl, glares from Danny and Sam had shut him up quickly enough. He couldn't bluntly shove the girl away either otherwise Danny's _shiki_ would lash at him before Danny would be able to stop them. _If Danny would stop them at all. It's amazing how protective he is of both Ellie and Sam,_ Lin thought, _though he protects Sam in a less obvious way, no doubt to save himself an argument from her about how she could protect herself. _

Lin sighed to himself as Ellie dragged him away yet again,

"You're the knight in armor," Ellie declared confidently.

Danny glanced over briefly, as did Sam, and Lin sighed in defeat as he was left with no choice but to agree with the little girl. Ellie cheered as he agreed and they continued to play together. Sam, however, was up on the bed with Danny, over the blankets as she leaned her head on his chest. He wrapped an arm around her lovingly as he kissed her forehead, causing her to sigh. She hated to admit it, but she didn't like Danny being gone so long. She missed him and she missed just spending time with him. To be with him again was already making her feel better.

"Can you two not be so affectionate," Naru's voice was laced with annoyance.

"Aw," Danny cooed, "Is someone jealous because they can't be this affectionate with a certain someone?"

He teased as Sam gave Naru an understanding look, knowing instantly about who that certain someone could be. Lin looked over curiously, a small amusing smirk on his lips as Naru huffed.

"Don't be ridiculous."

"Oh come on," Sam rolled her eyes, "It's pretty obvious that you like her, _Oliver."_

At the mention of his real name, Naru tensed as he glared slightly. Lin tensed as well as he stood up and headed over cautiously. Ellie had finally wore herself out, thankfully, as she passed out in a large nearby chair. Danny tightened his grip on Sam as he looked at two men with caution, unsure as to what their reaction would be. Sam didn't seem to concerned as she just continued to make herself comfortable against Danny.

"You know," Naru stated simply.

"Of course I know," Danny shrugged, "It's not that hard to figure out when you know what to look for. If you're concerned about me telling anyone else, don't be. I hate secrets and lying, but I understand your reasoning so I'm staying quiet…"

Naru nodded in appreciation, Lin repeating the gesture.

"We don't like lying to everyone at SPR," Lin explained, "But I am glad you see why it's necessary. If everyone knew who he was, it would be impossible to get our mission done."

"Mission," Sam whispered to Danny.

"Remember I told you how his twin had been murdered," Danny whispered back, "Well the mission is to find out by who. It's kind of hush-hush."

"Exactly," Naru chimed, easily overhearing the conversation, "Which is why I can't believe you told her."

He glared slightly at Sam, who returned the glare without flinching.

"Danny doesn't keep secrets from me," she stated coolly.

"Everyone has secrets," Naru retaliated, causing Danny to just grin.

"You're right and I still have secrets, just not any secrets from her."

Sam grinned back at him as Naru continued to glare. _He just admitted that he had secrets. Not any from her, but he never said that he didn't have any from me or anyone else at SPR, including Mai. So the real question is, just how many secrets is he hiding from us?_


	43. Insanity Part I

**Author Note: This is actually one of the cases I came up and bare with me through this because I am not the best when it comes to naming cases.  
~CWA**

* * *

**CHAPTER FORTY-TWO: INSANITY PART I**

* * *

Mai couldn't but smile as she served Naru his tea at the SPR base. Naru, along with Danny, had been out of the hospital for a few weeks by now causing the excitement to die down and everything was officially back to normal. _Though I still wonder what Naru is capable of,_ Mai thought absently, _I mean he's obviously a pretty powerful psychic… And so is Danny. _She shook herself out of her thoughts as the doors opened.

She smiled as she saw John and the others enter, but none of them appeared to happy. John wore a frown on his face as he sat down. The others seemed just as solemn causing Mai to voice her concerns.

"What's wrong?"

"I have a case," John answered simply, "It's just not a good one. I figured I would need all of your help on it…"

"I'm listening," Naru stated as he leaned forward, but his face showed no excitement.

_Yeah he's still Naru,_ Mai thought dryly as she sat down beside Lin to hear John's case. The others gathered around as well, but John had already told them about the case and its details before hand. _But where is Danny,_ Mai wondered, _why didn't they get him in on this too? _Before she could ask, John continued to speak.

"I have a friend who lives out in the country- Nao Shibata. They are a nurse and are very kind with a heart of gold. With their inheritance, they bought an old building earlier this year and turned in into an orphanage. Nao said that they were assured it was a good property with a good history and believed them. Yet lately, there's been strange things happening. At first it was only small things like hearing laughter in the middle of the night or rooms suddenly flooding. A few of the children reported seeing someone or hearing footsteps. However, last week it started to escalate. The laughter became more frequent as did the floods. A few days ago, the floods injured one child and later that same night, three of the children suddenly walked into the nearby lake until they drowned…"

John's voice trailed off in sadness. Mai gasped slightly as she put her hand to her mouth. _That's terrible! Those poor kids! We got to help them._ She looked to Naru pleadingly and he seemed to understand that she wanted to accept the case. Whether it was Mai's attitude or Naru's own decision was unclear to her, but Naru finally nodded.

"We'd be happy to help. What about Fenton?"

"I tried to contact him," John explained, "But he never answered… We went over to _Fenton Flames_ personally, but it's closed."

Naru nodded as he took in the information,

"Then I suppose this calls for a home visit."

* * *

It didn't take long for them to reach Danny's apartment. They had to go to Mai's first and from there, Mai was the one to lead him to the correct apartment. John stood in front of the apartment door nervously as he knocked with caution. He liked to think that Danny had a reason for declining the calls and closing _Fenton Flames_ (temporarily of course). He would hate if they were intruding in any way. Yet the others didn't seem that concerned. If anything Monk seemed excited to visit Danny's apartment as he grinned from ear to ear.

The door opened revealing a disgruntled looking Danny. He glanced at them briefly before looking back with a panicked expression. He quickly pulled everyone in to shut the door behind them. A bit confused, a few of them sat down on the couch as Danny ran a hand through his hair nervously,

"Huh, not that I don't appreciate surprise visits, but what's up? Ellie's at the daycare and I kind of… have plans with Sam and if we're late to a reservation again, I think she's going to kill me."

Monk have a suggestive wink at Danny, causing him to pale slightly at what Monk was implying. Yasuhara grinned as well. However, John gave him a sympathetic look, knowing that Danny was obviously busy,

"We're sorry to bother you. We had a case and thought you might be interested. We understand if you don't want to-"

Danny interrupted John as he got an excited grin on his face. He bounced up and down like a hyper child, glancing around cautiously as if watching out for someone or something,

"A case? Really? Where? Tell me everything, I don't think you guys understand how much I've been needing to get out the house. Sam, as amazing as she is, has _not stopped coddling me_ because she doesn't want me getting hurt again. _Please take me with you."_

He pleaded with them desperately, causing John to shift as he glanced around uncomfortably. Yasuhara and Monk openly laughed at Danny's desperation, giving him reassuring grins.

"Don't worry," Monk said as he patted Danny on the back, "You're welcome to join us."

Danny cheered as relief flooded over him. He loved Sam, he truly really did, however, after something happened (usually something that caused him to be hospitalized), Sam tended to coddle him with affection. It usually blew over within a couple of days, but she had only grew more affectionate as time went by. She wanted to go on dates, spend some more time together… It was nice at first, but Danny needed to get back to work.

"Sam," Danny called, "Where are my Specter Deflectors? I'm going on a case and someone could be in danger!"

Sam never emerged from a room, but her voice rang out clearly from the bedroom. Her tone was clipped and clearly annoyed.

"My _evening_ is in danger- you promised a date night! And until you apologize you are not getting them back!"

"-But I need them for the greater good!"

"Greater good," Sam called out skeptically, "I'm your _girlfriend_. I'm the greatest good you've ever gonna get!"

Danny let out a frustrated sigh as the others shared amused glances at his misfortune. Ayako looked almost proud at Sam's statement, happy that she wasn't afraid to value herself as important. Masako hid her giggle with the sleeve of her kimono as Mai giggled behind her hand.

"-Touché," Danny finally said, "I'm sorry."

"For," Sam pressed.

"-For canceling date night…"

"Good."

The door of the bedroom opened. Sam stepped out, heading straight for Danny. The pink in her hair had faded, but what remained was strips of what looked like orange causing her hair to resemble a tiger. It was clear that she wasn't expecting anyone else to be in the apartment as she lacked proper clothing. She was dressed in just a loose t-shirt that obviously belonged to Danny as it was a men's t-shirt that barely covered her purple underwear. It was pretty clear to all of them what they had interrupted.

Monk, along with the other men, quickly turned away with red faces. Even Naru and Lin looked a bit embarrassed; Lin went as far to put a hand up on the side of his face to obscure his view. Mai, Masako and Ayako turned red as well as they looked away. Ayako and Masako looked at Danny in a scolding manner, but the young man just laughed as Sam finally realized that there were guests.

"Danny," Sam shrieked as she hit him in the shoulder repeatedly, "Why didn't you tell me there was visitors!?"

Danny continued to laugh, but grabbed a nearby blanket from the couch to hand to her. Sam used it to cover her body completely, but the blanket was big enough that only her head was barely visible. After getting the okay from Danny, the others turned to face the two now that Sam was decent.

"Sorry, Sammy," Danny finally spoke, amused, "I didn't think you'd come out here like that…"

"Yeah well," Sam huffed as she grumbled, "Whatever… The Specter Deflectors are in the kitchen…"

Danny thanked her, giving her a quick kiss on the cheek, before disappearing into the kitchen. Sam shifted her weight a bit, uncomfortable with being left alone with a group of people she wasn't too familiar with. _Though Mai is here,_ Sam thought with relief, _so it could be worse._ There was a slightly awkward tension in the air that made all of them a bit nervous and uncomfortable. The only noise they could hear was Danny scrambling around in the kitchen as he searched for his tech. Monk was the first to finally speak up.

"So," Monk stated casually, "I see the pink is finally getting out of your hair."

"Though you do look a bit more like a tiger now," Yasuhara added as he mused to himself.

Sam glared daggers at the young man, causing him to gulp as he quickly apologized. Danny walked in at that moment with a grin on his face and the Specter Deflectors in his hands.

"Ohhh don't listen to him, Sammykins-"

"-Don't call me that, Danny."

"-I think," Danny continued, ignoring her, "Your hair looks _gggggrrrreat."_

He exaggerated the _'gr'_ of the _'great'_ as he gave her a thumbs up, intimidating the tiger from the cereal commercial. Monk and the others chuckled as Sam gave them a dry look.

"You know what? On second thought, do take him with you. Keep him as long as you can so I don't have to deal with his puns."

"At least I'm not _lion,_" Danny winked as he nudged her, the Specter Deflectors still being held loosely in his grasp.

Sam rolled her eyes with a smile as Danny and the others started to head out. The group quickly said their goodbyes to Sam politely, admitting to themselves that seeing her again was kind of nice. Danny gave her a sweet goodbye as well, going as far as giving her a tight hug. However, as he began to leave the apartment, Sam stopped him by grabbing a hold of his jacket.

"Danny," she said softly as she looked up at him, "_Be careful._ Please."

Danny gave a small smile,

"Always am, Sam. Promise."

He leaned forward to give her a quick kiss before he disappeared out of the apartment with the others, excited for a new case. _I wonder what this case will bring us…_


	44. Insanity Part II

**Author Note: Please review!  
~CWA**

* * *

**CHAPTER FORTY-THREE: INSANITY PART II**

* * *

**Day One **

The orphanage was larger than Mai had imagined. It sat alongside a large lake in the country away from the bigger cities. The building was at least three stories tall and it looked as creepy as the stories Mai had heard about it. The land around it was green with many flowers growing around it and there even a large playground. The exterior made the building look almost out of place. Despite the creepy aura, there were many kids that were playing outside with big smiles on their faces. Nearly all the smaller kids ran up to the SPR group as they arrived, eager to meet new people.

Danny and Monk were the ones bombarded with children first as they seemed to be the most interesting to the kids. A few of the younger girls and boys piled on top of Danny as he fell to the ground laughing. Monk wasn't in much better shape as a few kids clung to him, two of them clinging to each of his legs so hard he could barely walk straight. Yet he was laughing and smiling as well as he spoke to the kids. _Monk's great with kids,_ Mai mused to herself, _even the ones at that church we investigated loved him and I guess Danny is used to kids too since he has a younger sister… The kids really do like them though…_ She smiled slightly.

"Wow, I've never seen the kids so excited to see visitors," a voice purred.

Turning, they came face to face with a woman that appeared to be in her early twenties. Her long brown hair flowed down her back in soft waves and her warm brown eyes seemed to radiate with the kindness that was shown in her smile. She wore casual clothing that was baggy on her thin figure. John was the only one to recognize the woman as he stepped forward with a friendly smile.

"Nao Shibata," John greeted, "It's so good to see you."

Nao greeted John with a friendly hug and a pat on the back,

"John, it's been too long! I'm so glad you decided to come here and you brought friends to help, I see?"

She looked at him dubiously and John gave her an apologetic smile. Stepping aside, he motioned toward his friends as he introduced them.

"Of course, sorry," he scratched at his neck nervously, "This is the Shibuya Psychic Research plus a few friends…"

He went around saying each of their names; they nodded respectfully as they were introduced. Danny, however, was barely able to wave a hello as the kids continued to bury him in a dog pile as he pathetically called out mockingly for help. The pressure on his lungs hurt him, but he didn't have the heart to just push the kids off.

"I'm being buried alive! A little help! I need to breathe!"

He was laughing, but his eyes showed his distress. Nao clicked her tongue as she stepped forward,

"Kids, get off the nice man! That means you too, Haruhi!"

The kids whined as they got off of Danny. At Nao's minor glare, the ones attacking Monk stopped as well. Like well-behaved children, they lined up beside Nao with big grins on their faces as they waited for her to tell them what to do next. Nao, as kind as she was, wasn't a woman to be messed with if she was angry. Nao nodded as the kids obeyed her.

"Allow me to introduce them," she said politely, "These are the youngest children we have here, Haruhi and Hikaru, both being only four years old. Then there is Mika, who is six, and Blaire, who is seven. Alexy, who is seven, and his twin brother, Armin. Finally, we have little Alphonse, who is eight years old. There are a few more children- two ten-year-old boys named James and Steve, an eleven-year-old girl named Tsuki and finally, two twelve-year-olds named Ciel and Eric. All of them are currently in the safe room."

They could tell by just the names of the kids, and the appearance of a few, that not all of them were originally from Japanese descent. _Wow,_ Mai thought amazed, _that's a lot of kids. I wonder how she's able to take care of them all herself and remember all of their names and ages too. It's amazing. _The others seemed a bit shocked and impressed as well as they nodded. Yasuhara was the first one to voice a question,

"Safe room?"

"When I came to visit," John answered, "I was able to make one room safe with multiple blessings and wards. It's not much, but it was all I could do."

"And we thank you for it," Nao smiled appreciatively, "It's been a lot of help… Come, let me show you a tour of the building."

Nao started to head up toward the building. Like ducklings, the children all swarmed after her following her every step. A bit confused, the spiritualists and psychics followed her as well.

"Are you sure the kids will be safe coming with us," Danny asked, his voice laced with concern.

"They know not to wander," Nao waved him off, "And what's safer than being with a large group of Spiritualists?"

Having no retort to argue with her, Danny kept quiet as he kept his head down in thought, wordlessly following the group as they entered the building. _I have a bad feeling about this place…_

* * *

Nao had shown them a good portion of the orphanage as she explained the history of it. Not much of the history was known to her, but she had bought the property and building earlier in the year with high hopes. Strangely enough, some of the doors refused to open and were locked off. They even noticed that the windows had faint marks on the frame almost as if there had once been bars in front of it. It was a detail that they all mentally noted to check into later.

Finally, as the tour came to an end Nao showed them the last room- the so-called Safe Room. She opened a pair of large heavy doors that Danny was surprised she didn't need help opening them. As the doors opened, they entered the large room. The room was huge, being enough to have about fifteen beds lined up against each wall with a tall ceiling. The children that had followed them on the tour instantly ran over toward the other kids, chatting continuously.

The SPR group all looked around the room in wonder, taking in the gloom aura of it. Masako and Danny were the ones who visibly showed a bit of ease as they walked into the room. John's blessings and wards had filled the room with nothing but calmness and cheerfulness. The kids showed ease inside the room, only the older ones seemed a bit concerned or cautious of the strangers.

"You did a good job," Danny praised, "All the wards and blessings make this room feel a lot cleaner. Happier."

"Thank you," John dipped his head, before turning Nao, "Is this where we'll be staying as well?"

"I had hoped so," Nao said easily, "The children may not show it, but I know they are scared. Your presence in here may help them calm down and I'd rather everyone stay together in this room. We do have some room dividers if it will help you with your privacy."

"That would be appreciated," Naru spoke, causing Nao to nod.

She motioned for one of the older children to get the dividers, which they did so gladly. It wasn't long before the room was split into four large sections. One belonged to the children as they didn't care for the separations of their genders, one section for the male adults, one for the female adults, and finally one section for them to put all of their equipment so they didn't disturb the children too much. Danny helped set up the last divider as he sighed.

_I think we have a lot of work to do._


	45. Insanity Part III

**Author Note: Please review!  
~CWA**

* * *

**CHAPTER FORTY-FOUR: INSANITY PART III**

* * *

**Day One (Continued)**

The group split up into two to take temperature readings of the entire orphanage. Mai, Monk, Danny and John started on the first floor while Naru, Masako, Ayako, Yasuhara and Lin checked the top floor. The plan was to meet in the middle on the second floor if everything went quickly enough. _But knowing Naru, he's going to get the two floors done before we're even done with the first,_ Mai thought with a huff, _and how come Masako got grouped with him? She's always grouped with him!_ She crossed her arms in a small fit as she continued to walk between the rooms with the others.

They walked into one of the last rooms of the first floor. Unlike the others, it seemed darker and bleak. The air felt heavy and thick with moisture and it was filled with eeriness that made them all shiver as they took readings of it. From the dust, dirt and lack of light, it was pretty clear to them that it was either an unused room or a room that Nao hadn't had time to clean and renovate yet. Danny crinkled his nose slightly,

"Man, this place is allergy central. Let's get this done quickly, shall we?"

"Couldn't agree more," Monk sneezed as he continued to take readings of the room.

Monk continued to sneeze as he wandered around the room, the others occasionally sneezing as well. _This place just feels unsafe,_ Danny thought, _but I can't concentrate long to even sense any spirits. _Danny kept hacking as he took the readings, causing John to look at him in concern.

"Are you sure you're going to be okay? There's a lot of mold and moisture in here."

"I'll be alright," Danny waved off as he let out another coughing fit, "You know as soon as find that lung I dropped…"

Mai let out a small giggle at Danny's statement as she wandered around the room as well. The room itself was large enough that they had to split up to take the readings. _This is really creepy,_ Mai thought as looked toward the dark shadows that seemed to linger in the corners as if something were staring at them. _Maybe something is,_ Mai thought with a shiver, _but can Danny even sense anything when he's busy coughing up his lungs? _She glanced over briefly to the other side of the room where Danny was hunched over in yet another coughing fit. Danny noticed her looking and gave her a shaky thumbs up to signal he was okay.

She shook her head in amusement, but continued to stare into the shadows. _It still feels like something is watching us… Watching me… _She shivered again, but as she continued to stare she could make out a dark form in the shadows. It was solid enough for her to know it wasn't a ghost, but that brought little comfort. Curious, she walked over cautiously toward the corner. The dark shadows concealed the door and she noticed it was like some of the others that had seen on the tour. _I wonder if this one will open…_ She looked it over, noticing the small window on the door that was covered in bars. She slid her hand down the door, feeling a bit uneasy as she did so, but she felt no door knob or handle.

"Guys," Mai called out, "There's a door over here!"

The others came over almost instantly, Danny being a bit slower as his coughing continued to echo through the room followed by Monk's sneezes.

"Weird," John noted as he looked the door over, "It looks like some of the others we saw on the tour."

"Yeah," Monk agreed, "But this one doesn't even have a handle…."

Danny looked over the door as well, noting that it reminded him of a certain pair of doors inside laboratories and asylums. His stomach turned slightly at the thought as he stepped forward. Putting a hand against the wall, he knocked on it a few times,

"It seems pretty thick. John, do you think Nao would mind if we forced it open?"

"No," John shook his head, "She told me she planned on taking the door down herself anyway. Have at it then."

Danny nodded and motioned for everyone else to step back. When Monk gestured to help, Danny just waved him off. Taking a step back from the door, Danny let out a whopping cough before he was able to focus. With one swift kick to an area on the door, the door broke open. Danny smiled smugly at the hole in the door he created as he it as a makeshift door knob. The others looked at him a bit surprised but Mai's face showed confusion. _That door doesn't seem to be made from wood- it's almost like some sort of metal or steel? How did Danny kick a whole into it so easily? And without getting hurt too? _No one commented on it as Danny opened the door, revealing the inside of the room.

The small room was just as bleak and wet with an eerie feeling. The smell of blood, vomit, bodily fluids, and medicine reached them almost instantly, causing them to feel a bit nauseous. Mai brought her hand to her mouth and nose as she bit back the vomit. Monk and John didn't seem to be in any better shape as they hunched over in disgust. Even Danny's face seemed to turn green in disgust as he forced down any bile.

"J-Just look around," Danny wheezed.

"Aw man," Monk whined, "Do we really have to? If we stay here any longer, it's going to take weeks to get the smell off of us."

Danny mildly glared at Monk, who just waved slightly as if to say _'I know, I know.' _With a bit of hesitance, they all entered the room completely to look around. _This smell,_ Mai gagged, _it's overwhelming… I'm going to be sick…_ Noticing Mai's green face, Danny's expression softened.

"Monk, why don't you take Mai out of here and go meet up with the others?"

"If it means getting out of here, gladly."

Monk and Mai eagerly left the room, gagging and covering their noses. Danny and John shook their heads slightly, but understood as the smell was not pleasant. As they continued to look around, they found that the sight of the room wasn't that pleasant either. The lights from their flashlights lit up the dried blood on the walls and floors, the piles of decomposing rats and mice, and puddles of old dried up vomit. The sight made them almost want to vomit themselves, but they continued on until something caught Danny's eye.

"John, check this out," Danny waved John over, "What does this look like to you?"

The lights of the flashlights lit up the scene before them as John joined Danny's side. There was plastic on the floor and hanging up from the walls, most likely to keep blood off of the room (though it didn't seem to do a good job). There as a chair sitting on top of the plastic with straps on the arms, legs and back of it. A table sat beside it covered with operating tools and what seemed to be an electric machine. Danny's mind briefly flashed to his own experience in a similar chair- one that caused electricity to fire his veins. He shook the memory out of his head as John answered his question.

"It seems to be some sort of electric chair…"

"Right," Danny nodded, "But look on the table? Do you see that pick? Such picks would be used to stick in people's eyes to hit certain areas of their brains as a way to 'cure insanity.' Whatever Nao was told is obviously not true… Because all of this can mean only one thing…"

"…This used to be an insane asylum…"


	46. Insanity Part IV

**Author Note: **

**Yes, I did a lot of references throughout this case. An Incredibles reference a few chapters ago and I did do a lot of references with the kids' names. A good portion of them were from animes- Haruhi and Hikaru (Ouran High School Host Club), Mika, Blaire and Tsuki (Soul Eater), Ciel and Eric (Black Butler) and Alphonse (Fullmetal Alchemist). There are a few more too from other things like Alexy and Armin (My Candy Love) and James and Steve (Marvel- Captain America).**

**~CWA**

* * *

**CHAPTER FORTY-FIVE: INSANITY PART IV**

* * *

**Day One (Continued)**

Both Mai and Monk were given some nausea medicine from Nao, who had a hefty supply of all sorts of medical supplies due to her status as a previous nurse. Yet they still felt a bit sick to their stomachs as they waited with the others for Danny and John to return. It didn't take too long for the two men to return with their findings. As they spoke about their theories as well as what they found, Mai felt herself growing faint. _There were dead rats in there? And blood? And old vomit? No wonder it reeked so badly… _She put a hand over her stomach to settle it. Naru, however, took the information calmly.

"An insane asylum sounds like a reasonable guess," he mused, "Yasuhara, can you check the records of this building to see if it's true?"

"Of course," Yasu nodded, "It should be easy enough."

Danny and John both plopped down in the chair with a tired, green expressions. Ayako looked over with slightly amusement,

"I take it you two are just sick as Mai and Monk?"

"Sicker," Danny argued with a whine, "They got to leave soon. We were stuck in there and it was _nasty…_ I can still feel my stomach turning. If you listen closely, I'm sure you can hear even it going _'ew.'_"

Mai and Masako giggled to themselves at Danny's statement, causing him to give the girls a sheepish smile with a bit of a blush. _Yeah that's probably not something they wanted to hear. Opps. _John looked a bit sheepish as well, relating to Danny's statement as he still felt sick too. Naru wasn't nearly as amused as he frowned slightly.

"…You have to wonder," Naru mused, "If this was an insane asylum is it one of the old patients who are haunting it?"

"Or maybe the doctors," Danny chimed, "There are some messed up doctors and we did find the lobotomy tools. Either way, it's not pleasant. I mean, doctors that deranged deserve to be in a mental institution of their own and the patients… Depending on how far back the history goes, it's likely most of the patients were just mentally ill and being dealt with like maddened criminals- torture and lobotomies being the most common methods to 'rehabilitate the mentally ill.'"

"Maybe not even that," John added, "Some places have a history of convicting perfectly sane, healthy people who just got mixed in with the wrong crowd or made the wrong people unhappy."

Mai's brows furrowed as she took in the information before she couldn't keep quiet any longer.

"That's not right," Mai finally added her two cents, "If someone is mentally ill, they can't help it! They need compassion and the correct medication, not treated like a criminal for something that isn't even their fault!"

"I couldn't agree more," Danny spoke softly, "But it wasn't until just after The Enlightenment that people changed their views and thought the mentally ill deserved a compassionate treatment rather than harsh rehabilitation. Of course, it didn't change the view of everyone…"

"It doesn't matter," Naru scowled, "We can't know anything for sure about this place in particular until we get enough facts…"

The others nodded, staying quiet about their theories. Danny glanced toward the clock and noticed how late it was with a wince.

"Not that I don't enjoy these conversations, but I think we're done for the day. Plus John and I still have to shower…"

John crinkled his nose and lifted his arm to smell it, only to gag when he realized that Danny was right. The absolute disgust on his face caused them all to laugh. _Somehow,_ Mai thought, _we can all joke and laugh to ease the tension, no matter how serious a case is._

* * *

That night, Mai found herself having another one of _those_ dreams. She found herself in a metal room like they one that had discovered earlier that day. Yet it was slowly starting to fill with water; it flowed in through the bars over the small window in the door. As the water level rose to her waist quickly, Mai pounded on the door desperately seeing that there was no door handle or door knob.

"Help_,_" Mai cried out, "HELP!"

She tried to use all of her strength to pound against the door, but it only caused her fists to sting. She used her foot and tried to kick the door open, but it was to no avail. The water rose past her head, causing her to float a few feet off the ground as she gasped for air desperately, having only a few inches between her and the ceiling. She continued to call out for help, that she didn't do anything, that she was _sane,_ but she received no answer. It wasn't long before she found herself under the water with no room to breath. _I cant breath, I cant breathe…_ She tried to hold her breath as long as she could as she continued to desperately pound on the door.

She didn't last for long as she found herself growing weak. Her lungs burned for air and she was forced to open her mouth, causing the water to enter her air pipes. She gagged and hacked violently as her eyes widened in horror. _I'm drowning, I'm drowning…_ She looked around briefly with a small hope to find something, anything, or _anyone_ to help her. Her eyes fell on a figure standing in the room with her. They wore an old jacket that had buckles up and down the arms and a crazed grin. They reached out toward Mai calmly. _No,_ she thought as she tried to push herself away, _No! Get away from me! Don't touch me! _She thrashed violently but the strange spirit just calmly grabbed a hold of Mai's hand, causing a flood of relief to wash over her. The spirit's grin faded as their eyes turned to her pleadingly. _It's you,_ Mai thought, _you… This is how you died, isn't it?_

With the spirit's grip on her, the water didn't burn into her. It was if there was no water at all and it felt like she didn't even need to breathe. The spirit continued to look at her with saddened eyes.

_"Feel our pain,_" they whispered, their voice hissing and harsh as their grasp on Mai tightened.

_No… No get away from me,_ she tried to get the spirit to get off of her, but it was no use. The water started to fill up her lungs once again and her eyes started to grow heavy. Finally, she fell limp in the water.

* * *

Mai's eyes slowly opened after the dream. Their normal color seemed faded as if they were glazed over and a calm expression was on her face. She carefully and quietly swung her legs over the edge of the bed, glancing briefly toward Ayako, Masako and Nao who all were sleeping peacefully. Her feet seemed to glide over a thin inch of air over of the floor, making no noise as she exited the room.

_No,_ Mai thought with horror. She couldn't feel her body. She could see everything unfold but she couldn't move her body. As if there was a heavy force and presence just pushing her back away from the controls. _I… I'm possessed, _Mai realized as she exited the mansion entirely. _No… Get out of me! Get out! This is my body! You can't do this!_

_"Yes I can,"_ a voice whispered through her mind, _"You will all feel our pain…"_

Mai whimpered slightly, but it never left her mouth as she found herself getting closer and closer to the lake just outside. Her feet finally touched the water's edge and Mai realized what the spirit was making her doing. _NO! I don't want to die… I don't want to die! Not like this! _She continued to scream and cry out inside her mind, but none of it ever left her lips as she walked into the lake.

She walked deeper and deeper into the water as she found herself slowly becoming emerged by it…

_No… I'm going to drown…This is it…._


	47. Sam's Babysitting Powers

**Author Note: Decided to update twice today. Just so you guys weren't left in suspense from the ending of the last chapter.  
~CWA**

* * *

**CHAPTER FORTY-SIX: SAM'S BABYSITTING POWERS**

* * *

**Third Person**

Samantha Manson was many things. She was an orphan (as of recently), a strong woman, a fierce spirit, and the girlfriend/best friend of Daniel/Danny Fenton (Phantom). However, she was _not_ a nanny. She loved kids and spending time with them, but she suspected that she was going to _hate_ spending so much time alone with Ellie. It would make sense. After all, she could handle the hyper child for small periods of time or for long periods with Danny's help, but alone? What if something happened? What if she did something wrong? What if Ellie was a little rebel that refused to go to bed? Was she going to make out_ alive?_

To her surprise, she found that she actually liked spending this much time with Ellie. It was nice as if Ellie was her younger sister. _Or daughter,_ Sam thought wistfully before shaking the thought away. She chose to focus on the little girl who was sitting patiently in front of Sam, leaning her back against the couch as she watched _Finding Nemo._ Sam sat on the couch, barely even leaning down as she did the girl's hair into one long fishtailed braid. _I guess Mom taught me one good thing,_ Sam thought briefly, _at least I know how to take care of hair and do makeup correctly. _

As _Dory_ started to 'sing' _'Just Keep Swimming,'_ Sam was almost completed with the braid. It proved it a bit difficult since Ellie's hair was so long and thick. _Man, this is as thick as Danny's before he cut it, _Sam thought wirily as she entangled the pieces of hair.

"Sammy," Ellie spoke up cutely, "Can I wear dark clothes like you? And tattoos? And black nails?"

She wiggled her toes with a giggle as she thought about it. Sam gave her a small amused grin as she continued to braid the hair,

"Please stay still, Elle-Belle," Sam used her personal nickname for the girl, "If you want, we can go pick up some more dark clothes for you and I can do your nails. But you have to wait until your older to get tattoos."

Ellie pouted slightly as Sam finished the fishtail braid. Ellie turned to look at Sam with big puppy eyes. _Her puppy-dog look is as good as Danny's,_ Sam thought with a heavy heart. The girl stood up from the couch, heading straight for the kitchen. Ellie waited patiently with a big pleading look on her face. Finally, Sam returned with a grin.

"Okay. You can't get tattoos, but this can get you some fake ones…"

She waved the marker between her fingers as the little girl's expression lit up instantly. With a small laugh, Sam plopped down on the couch and Ellie quickly joined her with an excited grin. The smaller girl was very excited and happy to spend this time with Sam as she knew it didn't happen that often. Plus, Sam actually let her stay up as late as she wanted and wasn't as overbearing as Danny was sometimes. Ellie scooted to get a closer to Sam with a big grin on her face. Sam laughed and uncapped the marker,

"So, lil' girl," Sam cooed, "What do you want as a tattoo?"

Ellie got a thoughtful expression on her face, putting a finger to her chin in thought. She could get anything. Finally, something came to her mind as she grinned,

"A ghost," the girl said confidently, "I want a ghost! Just like yours! Caught in a spider web!"

_I think I'm rubbing off on her a bit too much,_ Sam thought dryly, but she obeyed the request. Ellie turned her shoulder to Sam, shaking slightly with excitement. With ease, Sam was able to draw a ghost just like the one on her own shoulder, being sure to even include the DP symbol and then drew a spider web around it. With it finished, Ellie let out a cheer,

"Can I get a frog too!? On my ankle!? And a heart! And a spider! And a snake! And a-"

Sam laughed and made a silent praise that the marker was nontoxic and safe to use on skin. It wasn't long before Ellie was nearly covered with various 'tattoo's ranging from spider webs to ghosts to frogs to snakes that wrapped around her wrists to a ghost portal to Clockwork's medallion. Sam looked at her masterpiece with a bit of a smile. _If Danny ever sees this, he's going to throw a fit… _That wasn't going to stop her as she snapped a few pictures of Ellie with her phone, planning on saving them for the memories.

With a good portion of Ellie's skin covered in the sketches, Ellie started to insist that it was Sam's turn. She snatched the marker away from Sam and started to doodle on the free space on Sam's visible side and stomach.

"Hey," Sam laughed, "Don't I get to decide what I get?"

"Nope," Ellie replied with a cheeky grin, popping the 'p.'

With a small laugh, Sam allowed Ellie to doodle freely on her skin. With her side and a small part of her stomach (just beside the belly button) covered with doodles, Ellie finally announced she was finished. She capped the marker with a prideful grin as she awaited for Sam's response. With a bit of trouble, Sam was finally able to see the doodle. It wasn't much and she didn't expect much from a small six-year-old. Most of it was squiggles, but there was a few ghosts doodled in that shaped with the squiggle lines. _That's kind of cool,_ Sam thought as a light bulb lit up in her mind. _I think there's a tattoo shop nearby that can do this… And what's better than having a tattoo of one of Ellie's doodles? It's perfect. _Her heart swelled with joy at just the thought of having such a sentimental tattoo.

"You will make a good tattoo artist someday," Sam praised, causing Ellie to let out another cheer.


	48. Insanity Part V

**Author Note: Please Review!  
~CWA**

* * *

**CHAPTER FORTY-SEVEN: INSANITY PART V**

* * *

**Day One (Continued)**

Danny was thankful that the presence of a spirit woke him up, yet as he finally gained his bearings, he could no longer feel it's presence. _This room was supposed to be safe,_ Danny thought with a frown as he got up. He reached his presence out in search for the wards and blessings, only to realize that weak spots were already forming. Such weak spots could be used for spirits to enter the room. _Damn it,_ Danny swore as he quickly grabbed some salt from his bed. Carefully, without waking anyone, he started to form a salt outline of the room to protect them as he chanted under his breath.

When he reached the adult women's section of the room, he hesitated but continued on. He noted that Mai's bed was messy, but didn't think anything of it. It wasn't until he completed the ring that he realized that the bed was entirely empty. There was no sign of Mai. His heart began to pound in his chest, his eyes glowing green in concern for Mai and in anger toward the spirits. He quickly shot from the room; unknowingly, his footsteps caused loud thuds that woke up a few of the others in the room. He didn't care as he let his ghost sense guide him toward where the spirit should be. He ignored the burning sensation in his chest as he reached the lake.

"Mai," Danny called out desperately, "Mai!"

A few bubbles came up from the surface of the water. Danny jumped into the lake, taking a deep breath before he dived beneath the water. The dark depths were only lit up from his glowing green eyes. He finally spotted Mai, her body floating in an underwater current. Danny reached her quickly, fueling himself with his ghostly abilities as he could see the spirit within her. He reached out with a small blast and shot the spirit out of her with ease before he scooped Mai up into his arms. She felt cold and wet and he couldn't feel or hear any breathing. Her pulse was quickly starting to slow down. _You'll be okay,_ he thought, _you'll be okay… _

The others just ran out of the house, having followed him, and watching in both horror and confusion as Danny jumped into the lake without hesitation. He disappeared beneath the surface as the others of SPR along with Nao reached the edge of the lake. Nao was smart enough to act on her instinct, bringing her first aid kit (filled with everything she could possibly need including warm blankets) and she silently prayed that she wouldn't need it that the two kids would come out alright. _It doesn't make sense_, Naru thought, _he was obviously the one who put up the salt wards in the room? Why would he do that if he was possessed? If he did it before he was possessed, he had to have left the room for the spirit to enter him…_

"DANNY," Monk called out loudly.

The older man, along with Lin, were about to jump into the lake after the young man, thinking he had become possessed like the children. Yet before they could act, Danny's head bobbed to the surface. In his arms was a limp and unconscious Mai. Danny gasped for air as he quickly swam toward the group. Danny's lungs were growing weaker and weaker as he barely managed to reach land.

"She's not breathing," Danny exclaimed as he gasped for breath.

Naru snapped into action, rushing over to get Mai from Danny's arms. He flipped the younger girl onto her back and began to perform CPR. Nao noted that the technique was flawless. Naru continued the procedure with worry shining in his eyes. He hated how cold she felt, how weak… Danny collapsed onto the ground, gasping for air as his hands flinched as if they were grasping for something.

"Here," John rushed over, "I grabbed your inhaler. I thought you might need it."

Danny snatched the container from John and greedily took in the medicine as relief filled his lungs. He looked over to Mai, who finally started to cough up water as she gasped for breath. A blush had formed on her cheeks slightly as she took deep, slow breaths.

_She's alive,_ Danny thought with relief. Nao and Naru tended to Mai as she slowly gained her senses. With both members of their team safe, everyone released the tension in their body with a sigh.

Nao made everyone turn away as she stripped Mai down, ridding her of the cold wet shirt in exchange for Naru's warm jacket. With her decent, the others finally were able to look back to her. Naru placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. While his face was impassive, his eyes showed obvious relief and concern. Nao coddled the younger girl, checking everything to make sure she was okay.

"Now that you two are okay, mind telling us what happened," Monk asked.

"She was possessed," Danny explained quickly, "I could sense another spirit and woke up. John's blessings were forming weak spots that allowed a spirit to slip through. So I created a salt ward around the room to keep spirits out and that's when I noticed Mai was missing. I followed the spirit's trail to the lake and saw the bubbles so I quickly jumped in… "

"It's a good thing you did," Nao chimed with a kind smile, "She could have died without you there."

Mai gave Danny a thankful, awe look that he just gave a sheepish smile in return. His smile vanished, however, as Nao continued to speak.

"Now, I need you to take off your shirt. You're just going to get sick or worse if you keep it on. At least it's a warmer night otherwise it could be worse."

"Is that really necessary," Danny scratched at his head nervously, causing Nao and the others to mildly glare at him.

Giving into the stares, despite knowing that he was not affected by the cold, Danny began to do as told. He took off his gloves first, revealing the pale skin. They noticed the faint scarring on one of his hands on the palm and briefly wondered what caused it. With a bit of hesitation, Danny finally and slowly peeled off his soaked shirt. With no shirt on, they could see every inch of his torso. It wasn't his broad shoulders or muscled abs that got their attention. Instead their eyes were glued onto the various, many scars that littered his chest and back. The largest scar was shaped like a _'Y'_ that spread across his entire chest, splitting it straight down the middle. It was thicker and deeper than the other scars, but the others looked like they would have hurt as well. His skin was so badly mangled that it was hard to even see his natural skin beneath it all. Not a single inch was pure, smooth skin. All of it was rigid and jagged.

Danny couldn't even look at them as he held his head down. They all just stared at his scars with horror, nearly all of them gasping or covering their mouths with their hands. Lin and Naru showed a bit of surprise before their eyes narrowed in a bit of suspicion. Mai and Masako nearly fainted as they took all of it in. Nao was the first to snap out of the daze as she rushed forward with a warming blanket,

"W-What happened?"

"…It doesn't matter."


	49. Insanity Part VI

**Author Note: Please review!  
~CWA**

* * *

**CHAPTER FORTY-EIGHT: INSANITY PART VI**

* * *

**Day Two**

The next morning was tense and heavy. Danny was in a bad mood. It was obvious from the bags under his hooded eyes to the messy appearance of his hair. He walked around the room quietly with a bit of a slouch. Mai caught him scratching at his chest a couple of times. Yet he never spoke a word and his dark mood seemed to effect everyone. No one dared to bring up the incident from last night, not even Naru. Every time Naru was about to say something about it, Danny had just given him the darkest look any of them had ever seen. It shut Naru up pretty fast. _And if it can get Naru of all people to be quiet_, Mai thought, _that's pretty bad. It's a good thing we're sectioned off from the kids. Danny would have scared them all off._

"I'll go check the building out," Danny finally spoke.

"I'll go with you," Mai meekly offered, but Danny just blew her off.

"I'll be fine on my own," he snapped a bit harshly before stalking off.

He practically slammed the door behind him when he walked out, causing Mai to jump before she shivered to herself. _Danny is really unhappy, but is he mad at us? Or just mad about what we saw? Or about whatever caused the scars?_ Thinking back to the scars on his chest, Mai frowned as her stomach started to turn.

"Whatever caused Danny's scars had to have been… rough," Mai mused quietly to herself, unaware she was speaking out loud.

"Rough," Monk repeated, "Try _traumatic. _All of those scars were pretty deep and some seemed older than others."

Monk shook his head sadly as he thought back to the scars as well. He was no medic, but knew enough to get by. From what he did know about healing, he knew that whatever caused those scars to Danny was more than just a simple fight or accident. _Someone did it to him on purpose, painfully, _Monk thought as his heart clenched. Danny had become like a brother to the man and was a good friend. The thought of anything causing Danny that much pain was hurtful to all of them, even Naru and Lin seemed a bit disgruntled about it.

"It's troubling to say the least," John chimed with sorrow lacing his voice, "To know that something or someone did that Danny of all people…"

"I hope it was a ghost," Masako added softly, "… I don't think I can stand the thought of an actual person doing that to Danny."

_Neither can I,_ Mai gulped thickly, _if it was a real living person who did that to Danny then they're… they're monsters! And even if it was a ghost, it's a monster too! Just anything to do that to another person, living or dead, is a monster! Simple as that! But if it was a ghost that did that to Danny then had to have been very powerful… _Mai thought briefly to what Danny had stated before, at a previous case, about how a painful death isn't pleasant, how he was so angered by Urado.

"…You don't think," Mai spoke slowly, "You don't think that maybe… Whatever did this to Danny was trying to kill him, do you? Was someone or something trying to kill Danny?"

"It's safe to say yes," Yasuhara answered gently, "You saw the scars. It was likely a fight to the death…"

His tone was somber and created more tension in the air as they digested the information. Naru frowned slightly. As if knowing what he was speaking, Lin spoke their thoughts on the subject.

"Those were not scars from just fights," Lin finally spoke clearly, "Not all of them. The rugged surface of them were likely from it just being reopened repeatedly, but some were clean-cut as if they were done with tools."

"Like a doctor," Mai muttered in confusion, "But why would a doctor do that?"

She looked up at the others wide teary eyes, blinking in confusion. She didn't get it. It didn't click in her mind like it did in the others. Monk placed a hand on her shoulder comfortingly as he squeezed it slightly.

"Mai," Monk's voice was soft and gentle as if speaking to a small child, "I think what Lin is suggesting is that for Danny to have such clean cuts like that then…"

His voice trailed off, unable to finish the sentence as his throat swelled with emotion. The others looked just as distraught. Masako was wiping tears away with her kimono as she hide her face, not wanting anyone to see her in such a state. Ayako had small tears forming in her eyes as she looked away from the group with her arms crossed. Yasuhara was shaking slightly as furiously wiped away at his glasses. John was tense as tears came down his face, a bit thankful that at least Nao wasn't with the group at the moment so she didn't have to hear the heartbreaking conversation. Lin had turned away from the group with a dark expression, Naru doing the same as Monk choked back a cry.

"Do you remember your dream Mai," Ayako finally spoke, "the one with Urado? How he killed you? For someone to make such clean cuts like that on Danny, we doubt he would have done it willingly…."

Mai's eyes widened in realization. _Someone… Someone forced him to get torn up like that like Urado had tied up his victims and sliced them… _Her stomach turned as images danced in her mind, all showing Danny in the same state as the victims of Urado. John finally looked up, uncomfortable with the conversation and eager to calm everyone down.

"We can't just go assuming things. Obviously some of them are from fights since they're so messy. But for all we know, he could have had a surgery."

"A surgery like that," Naru scoffed darkly, "That was a perfect _'Y' _on his chest similar to the cuts a frog would get when it's dissected… Those scars were professionally done and no surgeon in their right mind would do something like that."

At that moment, Danny returned unnoticed by the others. He stood toward the wall and they were too absorbed into the discussion to even notice his presence. As Danny listened, he started to shake as anger bubbled inside him. He wasn't angry at them. He was angry about the topic. He was angry at his so-called parents. He was angry at what they did to him. The anger flowed through his veins and sent a message to his fist. He slammed the side of his fist against the wall, but it wasn't strong enough to puncture it. The loud THUD caused everyone to jump before looking at him with mixes of sorrow, surprise and guilt. Danny's eyes were a bit blurry from the tears as he kept his head down, not wanting to look anyone in the eyes.

"You're right about one thing," his tone was low and dark, trembling a bit in rage, "They weren't in their right mind…"


	50. Insanity Part VII

**Author Note: **

**Reply to reviews**

**Niyuu- **Can I just say that your review made me spit out my water when I read it. I sat at my laptop choking on water because of you. Because out of _all_ the things that people have _ever_ reviewed,_ that_ is a first and I certainly _did not_ expect that.

**~CWA**

* * *

**CHAPTER FORTY-NINE: INSANITY PART VII**

* * *

**Day Two (Continued)**

After Danny's outburst, he seemed to return to normal. He spoke animatedly to the children, who spoke back just as excitedly. He was smiling, but his eyes still shined with a few old tears as he played with the children to keep them occupied. The others watched the scene in silence. None of them spoke of the incident or his scars again. They saw how much it affected him and they were his friends. If he wanted to tell them about it, then he would tell them when he was ready. _I hope so at least,_ Mai thought with a heavy heart, _Danny's obviously still affected by whatever did that to him and it's going to keep eating at him if he doesn't talk about it. If not to us, I hope he at least talks to Sam. I just hope he knows that he can trust us and that we're his friends. _

As if reading her thoughts, Danny walked back over to the group with an easy grin on his face. They gave him nods in greeting, but his grin faltered.

"I.." he whispered, "Thank you for being concerned, but I really don't want to talk about it. Maybe someday and you guys are my friends, family even, but I just can't talk about it now…"

"We understand," Monk replied, nods of agreement going throughout the group as Monk placed a hand on Danny's shoulder, "We respect your decision Danny and I'm glad we're considered family to you."

"Well yeah," Danny's goofy grin returned, unlike the other smiles it reached his eyes.

Seeing his easy, _real _smile caused the last bit of tension to be released as they all let out a sigh of relief. Naru motioned for them all to gather back into the private area away from the kids so they obeyed, knowing that they still had a case to solve. The private area was soon filled with all of the investigators as they gathered around. Nao joined the group, curious to hear what the latest news was.

"Are the kids safe," Danny muttered to her, causing her to nod.

"Most of them are outside playing," she answered softly, "So far nothing's happened outside and all possessions seem to happen while they are inside the building. They should be safe."

Yasuhara cleared his throat, getting everyone's attention.

"I did some research," Yasuhara spoke, "And I was able to find out a few interesting things. Most seem to confirm our suspicions. This building was previously an insane asylum back in the late eighteen hundreds, early nineteen hundreds. This explains the locked doors, barred windows and steel rooms, I suppose. More than likely a few were old cells or the rooms of patients. The name of its owner, along with the names and deaths of the patients, is lost to history since most of their records were destroyed."

"Did you manage to find anything else," Naru asked impatiently.

"Yes," Yasuhara flipped through the papers, "The patients here were treated horribly and most were murderers to some degree. They were tortured through drowning and most had lobotomies preformed on them. All of this happened in the room Danny and John had checked, which explains the tools and blood. However, what's more is that back when this was still an asylum, there was a great flood."

"A flood," Mai whispered as she thought back to her horrible dream that led to her possession.

Sensing her distress, Danny gave her a comforting look that calmed her down a bit. Masako seemed a bit stressed as well as her hands started to tremble. _This is a safe room, I shouldn't be feeling this way…_ Her mind grew a bit fogged with visions of the past, everything started to become overwhelming. Her hands continued to shake in the long sleeves of her kimono as her eyes widened. Danny turned to Masako and hunched over a bit to whisper to her as he put his hands on her shoulders,

"Deep breaths. Breathe in for seven seconds, then breathe out for eleven."

He breathed deeply, demonstrating the technique. Focusing on his breathing, Masako was able to sync her own breaths to his before finally, she calmed down. She gave Danny a thankful smile, which he returned with a nod before they both turned their attention back to Yasuhara. He continued to speak as he looked through his papers.

"Well, the weather here was never too great. Mudslides were common and from what I was able to gather, many patients were swept away from the mud and dragged into the lake to drown. But there was one incident where the lake itself flooded, causing a bit of trouble as water found it's way into the building. Soon, the asylum itself started to rapidly flood from both the lake water and the great rains. Any guard, doctor or patient that went outside was swept away with the currents and into the lake. Every other patient was still locked up in their rooms… Trapped as the rooms flooded. It wasn't long before they drowned…"

His voice trailed a bit at the end as they took in the new information. Nao put a hand to her mouth in shock. Danny nodded solemnly. _I guess this makes sense, _he mused, _all the patients trapped want revenge. Or maybe everyone who died felt it was unfair and want the same fate on others. _Mai gulped as thought back to her dream, the spirit that was trapped inside their room as they had pounded against the doors before they drowned. _Murderers or not, it's cruel,_ she crinkled her nose.

"I guess that explains a lot," Monk finally spoke, "It seems we have a lot of restless spirits on our hands. Either they are seeking justice or revenge."

_Justice or revenge, it doesn't matter,_ Danny scowled, _both are going to lead to a lot of trouble on our hands… _

"On the bright side," Danny muttered, "This means we probably just have to exorcise the building and the lake to be done with it."

"To do an exorcism on the building," John mused, "One of us would have to do it room by room or maybe all of us splitting it up to do it?"

"It's worth a shot," Naru added, "We'll get to work on the exorcisms tomorrow. We're all tired and it's already pretty late."

"Last I went outside," Nao spoke up, "it seemed like a storm was brewing so I don't think anyone wants to go outside tonight… I better get the kids now though before the storm hits."

She turned to leave, but froze as the sound of children screaming reached her ears. The screaming came from outside, but easily reached the entire group, causing them to snap into action as they ran outside, hoping they weren't too late.


	51. Insanity Part VIII

**Author Note: Please review!  
~CWA**

* * *

**CHAPTER FIFTY: INSANITY PART VIII**

* * *

**Day Two (Continued)**

They wasted no time in rushing outside toward the edge of the lake where they spotted the children. Danny's face hardened as he saw the frightened expressions on the children as they scrambled to get away from the lake. Rain pelted down heavily on them, causing the ground to be slick, yet Danny's feet carried across the ground with no effort while the others slid a bit as they ran. _The storm shouldn't have come this quickly, something caused it to almost quicken, _Danny thought as he finally reached the children.

Danny was the first to reach the kids. Their feet were getting stuck in the mud as they sank down into it. With ease, Danny scooped up child after child, carrying about four in his arms and one on his back by the time the others reached the group. Danny's feet didn't sink into the ground at all and while they others never noticed, it was due to him actually floating a millimeter above the muck as rain pelted against them. Monk, John and Lin were quick to pick up the remaining kids to keep the children from being swept away, but their own feet sunk a few inches into the mud causing it to be difficult to walk nevertheless continue running.

"Is everyone here," Nao shouted, "Kids! One.. Two…Three…"

Nao started to count the children but as she continued to count, she realized with relief that everyone was there.

"They're all here," Danny confirmed, raising his voice to speak over the wailing winds.

"We need to get everyone inside," Lin barked.

"Easier said than done," Monk retorted, but he still continued to try to get through the muck.

Naru, however, was busy staring at the lake with a frown on his face. Images of his brother came to mind which caused his heart to clench before he shook his head. _Focus, _he scolded himself, _I have to focus. There's something in that water…_ Ayako held onto Masako and Mai with strong grips to keep the smaller girls from being swept away either by the wind or slick sinking ground.

"Naru," Ayako hissed loudly, "There's no time to just stare! Let's get out of here now!"

"There's something in the water," Mai shouted as she squinted.

Through all the rain, she was able to focus on the lake. The others turned briefly to look at the lake, but they kept their grips on the children tight. Like Mai had stated, there was something in the water- multiple things actually. As the rain and wind picked up, they were still able to barely make out the items that started to pop up from the lake like daisies. _Skulls,_ Mai realized with horror, _Oh my God, it's… It's bones and skulls… Actual corpses…_ She took a step back, causing Ayako's grip to falter. Mai fell down, slipping on the mud as the slick ground carried her down toward the lake. The skulls got closer and closer, as did the flooding waters, causing her to scream.

"MAI," Naru shouted, concern in his voice as he reached out toward her.

With a grunt of effort, Naru grabbed her hand and pulled her out of the slick mud and brought her close. He held her tightly to his chest to keep her from sliding away again, but a light blush appeared on Mai's face. _Naru… He's actually concerned for me… He's never done this before…_ Naru's face was impassive as usual, but despite the growing seriousness of the situation, Danny and the others shared an equal look of understanding and amusement. Masako looked at the scene with a small scowl, wondering briefly if Mai had slipped on purpose.

"Everyone go, now," Naru barked harshly and loudly.

No one needed to be told twice as they scrambled toward the house. Danny had the youngest children in his arms and on his back while it seemed that Lin had the oldest of the kids. Danny held onto the kids protectively and even more so when he felt a few of them cry against his chest and back. He let his protective aura of warmth sweep out in a small dose, calming the kids greatly as he finally reached the house.

As soon as they were all safe inside the safe room, they set down the kids. Everyone was muddy, soaking, smelly, and tired. The kids were crying and whimpering as Nao gushed over them despite her own messy appearance.

"Is everyone okay," she asked gently, "Anyone hurt?"

The kids all shook their heads, but they clung together in a bit of fright. Nao nodded before she hugged all the children tightly in one large group hug.

"I'm so glad everyone is safe… Now let's all clean up and then we'll eat…. Don't you worry, we're safe in this room. Come on…"

She grabbed the hands of two of the youngest and started to lead all the children away toward the washrooms.

"Nao," Danny called out, causing the woman to turn, "I'll help clean up the mud."

"We'll all help," Monk chimed in, "It's the least we can do."

Nao nodded with a thankful smile before she continued to lead the kids away. Everyone let out a tired sigh as their shoulder slouched. Danny wanted nothing more than to collapse against the chair, but he knew better since he was so messy.

"It's likely the storm is going to cause things to act up," John cautioned.

"Agreed," Danny nodded, "Which is why we shouldn't do anything more for tonight. Wait for things to calm down and then do the exorcisms tomorrow. We'll be safe in here until the meantime."

Naru was still clinging onto Mai, which left the poor girl utterly confused. Noticing how Naru and Mai were still clinging to each other, Danny and Monk shared an amused grin before Monk called out.

"Hey Naru, I think she's safe now," he teased, "Unless you just like holding her."

"Someone has to watch over her," Naru answered back calmly, his grasp on Mai didn't even falter, "She's too stupid to look after her self."

"Hey," Mai protested as she squirmed in his grip before finally breaking free, "I'm not stupid!"

"I don't know," Naru smirked, "Breaking away from Ayako's grasp and sliding toward a flooding lake filled with bones sounds pretty stupid to me."

"Now listen here, you narcissist," Mai argued, "I didn't mean to break away!"

The two continued to bicker back and forth, causing a bit of relief. _At least they're back to normal,_ Danny mused, _I kind of miss hearing their bickering. It reminds me of Sam and I sometimes… There's no real venom between them, just playful teasing… And I think that's just Naru's way of flirting._


	52. Insanity Part IX

**Author Note: Just a reminder for those in the storm season to be safe! Please review!  
~CWA**

* * *

**CHAPTER FIFTY-ONE: INSANITY PART IX**

* * *

**Day Two (Continued)**

That night, Danny laid still in his bed in a deep, much needed meditation. All the frustrations from the day seemed to wash out of him easily as he took deep breaths. He needed to have a clean, open mind tomorrow for the exorcism. He would need to be alert if anything were to happen. He continued to take deep breaths, forcing the images and memories out of his mind before exhaling. _1..2…3…4…5…6…_ He counted slowly as he regulated his breathing. His mind became an empty plain as everything else around him faded away… He was too into the meditation to even realize that Mai was having difficulty in the next section over.

Mai's eyes scrunched up tightly as she thrashed a bit in her bed. Her hair pooled around her head in a mess as she desperately tried to get to sleep. Yet no matter how hard she tried, the images of the bones and skulls still were etched into her mind. She whimpered slightly in her sleep as she clenched the blankets tightly, a thin layer of sweat going down her face. _All those bodies… Just disturbed like that…And no one thought to give them a properly burial? Even if they were murders and insane, everyone deserves at least a burial right? _She crinkled her brows, finally sitting up in the bed, having gave up all hope of falling to sleep. _I wonder if Naru or Danny has any sleeping medication on them?_ Just as she was prepared to get up from the bed, she froze as a chill went up her spine.

All throughout the room, there was eerie laughter, laughing hysterically. It was faint and barely heard. Looking up, Mai noticed that it must be coming from the vents. _But who, or what, is laughing? Is it one of the patients? _The laughter continued on, slowly getting louder and louder until she could hear the children starting to protest. Ayako and Masako woke up as well, clenching their ears as the laughter got louder, echoing throughout the room.

"It appears to be coming from the vents," Masako hissed loudly to be heard.

"What about the children," Ayako stressed her concern.

The priestess left their section to enter where the children were, Mai and Masako quickly following her. Nao was already with the children, holding some of the youngest close to her while the other ones clung to each other. The three women made their way over to the groups quickly, Nao giving them a slightly hopeless look as she desperately tried to calm the kids. She glanced briefly toward the other kids and it was enough for them to understand. Ayako, Masako and Mai gathered the other kids close and started to calm them down as well.

It was then when John and Danny walked into the section, neither of them looking very pleased at the laughter, but gave the girls and children concerned looks. John instantly went over to Nao, having a loud private conversation with her as Danny looked around to observe the area.

"Where are the others," Mai screamed, "Shouldn't they be awake?"

"Monk doesn't even wake up from his own snoring," Danny shouted, "I doubt this is actually going to wake him up! And Yasuhara sleeps with earplugs in! Lin and Naru are too busy trying to block out the screams for themselves!"

"Isn't that a bit unsafe," Masako questioned.

"It's a safe room," Danny hollered, "We're all fine here, but this dang laughter is coming in through the vents! The spirits aren't that pleased!"

He scanned the room for anything before a solution dawned on him. He grabbed a few of the children's blankets and handed them off to the women, gesturing to cover their ears with it. They understood the message an used the blanket to cover everyone's ears, blocking out a bit of the noise. _Wow,_ Mi thought, _this is working surprisingly well. _She, as did the other women and kids, had the blanket covering her ears. The thick fabric turned the screaming into a dull enough noise that she could hear her own breathing and thoughts.

With everyone's ears covered, Danny got to work on the vents. There were only three vents, all in the children's section, which made it easier for him. He grabbed some salt from his bag before returning to get rid of the screams. He had to stand on top of a bed and on his toes, but he was able to reach the vent to put a thin line of salt on it, muttering a chant under his breath to block out all spiritual noise. With the first vent done, the screaming increased from the other two vents. He winced slightly from all the noise, even the others started to get bothered, but he continued with his work. It didn't take him long before the screaming was gone completely.

Everyone let out a sigh of relief as the children's own cries turned into quiet sniffles. Nao's grasp on the children relaxed, but her face still showed concern. John gave her a small worried look and whispered a few words to her that seemed to calm her down considerably. Danny's ears started to ring and he hit the side of his head in a vain attempt to get it to stop. He gave an amused look when he noticed that both Masako and Mai were doing the same trying to get rid of the ringing in their own ears.

"Is everyone alright," Naru asked calmly as he entered the section.

_From how he acts, it's hard to believe that just a minute ago I saw him quivering from all the noise,_ Danny thought dryly. Lin followed Naru into the section, both with calm expressions that hid their true emotions.

"Yeah," Mai answered as she glanced around at everyone in the room, "I think we are…."

"Good," Naru gave a curt nod, "Fenton, what did you to make it stop? I assume you are the one who did something?"

"Good guess, Naru," Danny clicked his tongue, "Salt and chanting goes a long way…"

_Too bad it doesn't work on Monk's snoring_, Danny mentally added.


	53. Insanity Part X

**Author Note:  
Still sticking to my chapter a day routine- always have done that always will do that. Though today I ended up updating this a bit later than usual due to the fact that I just had my heart ripped out by the latest Hobbit Movie (Hobbit: Battle of the Five Armies also known as the movie that made me understand why people ship Bilbo/Thorin).  
Please review.  
~CWA**

* * *

**CHAPTER FIFTY-TWO: INSANITY PART X**

* * *

**Day Three**

It wasn't too long after everyone had woken up that they decided to get straight to work. They didn't have time to wait. Considering the laughing was still echoing throughout the house and that both Masako and Danny had an uneasy feeling, it was debated to do the exorcism and blessings room by room together as opposed to splitting apart. While the exorcisms were taking place, Nao and the children were strictly ordered to stay in the safe room. John and Monk were the ones chosen to perform the exorcisms to make it as effective as possible. As such, they wore their respected religious outfits to do it correctly.

_I guess this makes sense,_ Mai thought as she looked around the room, _all the activity is mostly centered here in the lobotomy room. And we already exorcised the other parts of the house… I just don't like it here._ The room smelled and looked just as bad as it did when it was discovered. The vomit still was dried and crusted in piles across the room while the decomposing rats reeked. Their flashlights illuminated the chair in an eerie light- if Mai didn't know any better, she would think the source of the laughter was the very chair itself. The lobotomy tools on the table seemed to almost shake from the laughter as they entered the heart of the insanity.

She covered her mouth with her hands to block out the smell. Danny had trouble sitting still as he fought against the bile in his throat, but he still ended up coughing roughly from all the mold and germs that were entering his lungs. Even Yasuhara was beginning to cough from it all. Danny stood right behind Mai to keep an eye on her as well as Ayako and Masako. Yasuhara stood closely by as well as he kept his eyes out for anything unusual.

Since they were at the source of all the laughter, the laughter seemed to be louder than ever. Danny wasn't able to do anything since the laughter was coming from the room itself. It echoed loudly off the metallic walls, causing discomfort to all of them.

John and Monk turned to Naru briefly and he gave them a nod as a signal to begin. Monk put his hands together and started to chant the ritual as John made a cross with Holy Water before reciting a passage from the Bible. As they spoke, an eerie feeling came across the room that caused Masako and Mai to shiver. Mai stood a bit closer to Yasuhara as it grew colder in the room, Masako doing the same but getting close to Danny. Even Ayako grew colder as she joined the huddle. Naru and Lin stood a bit closer to each other, but otherwise showed indifference to the situation aside from their narrowed eyes.

Danny tensed slightly as he kept his eyes peeled and became well aware of every spiritual presence in the area. He could feel the anger and pure _insanity_ that just seemed to melt off the walls as the laughter came through the door louder than ever. While sensitive to the loud noises, he was focused only on the spiritual auras thus allowing the laughter to simply not bother him. The others, however, plugged their ears as Monk and John recited the exorcisms louder and louder.

Blood seemed to leak from the tops of the walls, dripping down thickly. Seeing such a sight caused Mai to get a bit nauseas as Danny stood by the group protectively. _There's so many spirits, but these ones seem to be etched into the stone itself… I can't fight stone, not without destroying this room entirely. _Monk and John continued with the exorcism, nearly screaming at the top of the their lungs.

The laughter turned into screams that shot through their ears painfully. Danny flinched at the screams and took deep slow breaths in a silent meditation to keep himself calm and to block it out. Mai and the others weren't as lucky as they were forced to cover their ears aside from Monk and John who tried to continue with the exorcism, faltering slightly in their words.

"Keep going," Naru barked loudly, "It won't stop until it's gone!"

Obeying Naru's order, the two continued on with the exorcism. Danny could feel the intense emotions that were from the spirit and tensed slightly at the intensity of it. His jaw clenched as the angered screaming continued. The walls continued to ooze the blood; it started to form puddles on the edges of the walls that caused them to group toward the center of the room. As the exorcism continued, the hostility from the spirits grew stronger. Bloody water started to fill up the room and in a matter of seconds it was up to their knees.

The group gathered in the center of the room near the chair as the water gathered, John and Monk still continued, eyeing the water cautiously. _This is so not sanitary,_ Danny complained mentally, _this is the most disgusting thing I ever done… And I've eaten Dash's underwear! _He bit back a bit of bile, not surprised when he saw the others doing the same as they shut their mouths tightly. Masako looked pale and disgusted- Mai and Ayako weren't in much better shape as they clung to each other in silent distress. Naru and Lin allowed a bit of their own disgust to show as the water continued to raise.

"We have to get out," Mai snapped.

"Not yet," Naru barked, harshly, "We can't leave until it's completed! They're almost done!"

"I don't really think we have time, Naru," Danny urged as the water continued to raise.

The water leveled at Danny's chest, but it was almost to Mai and Masako's chin. Even Ayako and Naru were having a bit of trouble trying to keep their heads up. John held the Bible over his head and kept his face above the water as it raised but he continued with the exorcism. However, they couldn't continue with it any longer as the water suddenly rushed and filled up the entire room, going over their heads and into the ceiling. Mai's eyes widened as her dream flashed back into her mind as she started to panic. Danny knew his inhaler was done for so he focused to discretely turn intangible, allowing the water to just flow through him and with great difficulty, he was still able to breath through his nose.

Everyone was forced to hold their breaths and hold back their disgust at the bloody water that surrounded them. The lights of their flashlights short circuited, casting them in complete darkness until Danny got a light out of his pocket and was able to illuminate just enough of the room for them to see. Mai's cheeks were a bit puffed as she held her breath. _My lungs are starting to burn. I don't even know how Danny can hold his breath for such a long time._

Naru and Lin were quick to swim toward the door, but it wouldn't open. They were trapped and they wouldn't be able to hold their breath for too long. As Monk, Naru and Lin worked on the door to get it open, trying to hold their breaths, Danny looked around the room. _The source of all of this is in here somewhere. If it's not exactly a spirit then it has to be a haunted object… _Danny's eyes fell on the chair. _There._ He swam toward it quickly, ignoring the curious looks that were sent his way. He chanted mentally and powered his hands discretely with an ectoblast. With one swift swing, the chair split into two pieces.

Almost instantly the water drained out of the room, leaving them gasping on their knees inside the dirty room. Mai gasped and gagged along with the others. _Was the chair really the cause of all that? Danny seemed to think so and destroying it did seem to make it stop. _Danny turned to the others, a bit out of breath but not nearly as out of breath as the others. He turned completely solid again, a bit thankful noticed that he had used the odd powers. As soon as the chair was destroyed, the presence disappeared; both Danny and Masako could feel the tension leave the air. Of course that didn't mean that the room smelt any better and they would gladly leave as soon as possible.

"Is it gone," Mai asked hesitantly as she caught her breath.

"Yeah," Danny answered a bit tightly as he dried not to break into too much of the air, "…I think this chair was actually the cause of the activity in the house."

"But we still have to perform the exorcism on the lake," John pointed out, gagging a bit from the smell that seemed to get worse throughout the room.

"Of course," Danny nodded, "But I think those that died at the lake will be a bit more willing to leave. All the spirits that died from the floods seemed to be focused into the chair, removing it removes half the overall power of the spirits in the lake have. Aside from being weak, their graves were disturbed, so I think they won't put too much of a fight…"

"I hope you're right," Monk muttered, "…Can we shower first?"

At the reminder of their current state, everyone shared an equally cautious, disgusted look before everyone (aside from Naru and Lin) burst into a run for a race to get the shower first.


	54. Insanity Part XI

**Author Note: Please review!  
~CWA**

* * *

**CHAPTER FIFTY-THREE: INSANITY PART XI**

* * *

**Day Three**

It took over two hours before everyone was cleaned and headed outside. The ground was still wet from the previous night, but it wasn't nearly as slick. The sky had darkened across the land like a shadow as the air whistled a haunting tune. John and Monk stood the closest to the lake to perform the exorcism, Ayako standing close by in her priestess outfit in case, with all the trees nearby it would be easy for her to assist if needed. Naru, Lin and Danny stood behind them, the others of the group directly behind them.

Mai let out a shaky breath as they stood on the edge of the lake. The cold air chilled her enough to bring her jacket closer to her; her hair was still wet and clung to her head as it fought against the breeze. _I might get a cold from going out here wet- we all might, but this needs to be done… And if we went out here still dirty like that then we would just end up getting extremely sick. I'd rather suffer from a cold then vomit my stomach out repeatedly in front of people. _She brought her jacket a bit closer, pulled up the collar as she let out another shaky breath on her hands as she rubbed them together.

"In the beginning there was the Word," John started to recite.

Monk followed his lead, reciting his own exorcism before the lake. Danny's senses went on alert, trying to sense if there were any malevolent spirits nearby. He relaxed slightly when the spirits he felt were all sad and peaceful; there was nothing to hint that any of them would do any harm during the exorcisms. If he looked down into the water, he could see all the spirits as they reached out toward the surface, only to be dragged back under. His heart clenched slightly as their distressed cries reached his ears.

_I wonder what he's looking at,_ Mai thought as she stood on her tip toes, trying to leer into the water in hopes of seeing what Danny saw. _Oh my God… Are those… Are those spirits?_ Her eyes widened slightly as saw the spirits' distressed faces as they desperately tried to escape the waters in hopes of reaching the heavens- in hopes for eternal peace. As she watched the water, the surface started to boil slightly.

She took a step back in surprise as others in the group let out surprised gasps as well. The water's surface continued to boil lightly as the exorcism continued. If it was possible, the sky seemed to get even darker ass clouds blocked out the stars and the moon. The darkness surged around them with an oddly peaceful aura. Danny closed his eyes peacefully as the spirits rose to the surface before descending up. They were only white orbs that seemed to pulse gently as they glowed, giving all an unnatural light. They all rose slowly from the depths of the water. In some way, it remembered her of lightning bugs or sky lanterns that knew no limits as they reached higher into the sky, disappearing behind the clouds. Mai titled her head up to watch the spirits disappear into the air.

It was a magnificent sight to see and as she watched, she didn't feel the cold. Instead she just felt the overwhelming sense of peace despite the dark clouds that still hid the night sky's natural light. As the spirits finally ascended completely, the dark clouds seemed to lift, allowing the stars and moon to illuminate the land once more. She let a small gasp of awe. _That was…strangely beautiful… they all looked like sky lanterns… _She finally tore her gaze away from the sky and focused on everything else around her- the cold that nipped on her face, Danny's oddly peaceful expression, Naru's blank expression, the mud that was wetting the bottoms of her pants and the peaceful air that was all around them.

"Well, I guess that's that," Danny finally spoke softly, "A quick case, but we got it done. Nao and the kids are sure to be safe now… I don't even sense anymore spirits here at all… Masako?"

He turned to the young medium, who shook her head.

"I don't sense anything either… I believe everything is gone now, making this a safe place."

"I wouldn't say that," Mai added, a bit sheepishly as she thought back to the dirty rooms and unsanitary conditions in a few others.

Danny seemed to know exactly what she was thinking as he gave her a small smirk and ruffled her hair. She swatted at him with a frown, but her eyes were twinkling with amusement. Naru glanced over at the two of them briefly, a small frown tugging at his lips. He understood their relationship; it was a very close family bond that Naru respected. However, that didn't mean he liked it. He turned his focus on Mai and noticed the flush on her cheeks and nose as she rubbed her hands together, blowing on them softly to try to get warm. Without saying a word, he walked over and took off the blanket he wore over his shoulder for warmth. He carelessly tossed it over her shoulders,

"Here. Don't get sick…"

The action caused Mai to pause as she processed it. She tugged the blanket on over her shoulders a bit better, bringing it close to her. _Does… Is Naru actually looking after me? I mean, I know he cares, but this seems a bit much?_ She was almost glad that the weather was so cold that it hid the blush on her face. John, Monk and Ayako joined the group as they all started to head back toward the building. Monk had noticed Naru's little gesture and shared a sly look with Danny.

"How long do you think it will take for those two to get together," Monk whispered.

Danny thought back to him and Sam. He had a crush on her for a long time and never really noticed it; nevertheless actually noticing that she liked him back. He was clueless. In this case, he thought Mai and Naru would move faster than him and Sam, but it seemed both Mai and Naru were a bit clueless. Mai was a bit clueless about how Naru actually seemed to feel and Naru just seemed clueless about how relationships worked (or at least how to make his feelings clear).

"I'll give it… About a year," Danny finally whispered back.

"Really," Monk's surprise showed through his tone, "You think it will take that long? I think maybe five months at the most at this rate."

"…Want to make this interesting," Danny slyly added with a smirk and despite his better judgment, Monk gestured for Danny to continue, "Let's bet on it. I don't understand yen that well… So if I win, you have to ask out Ayako."

Monk's eyes widened a bit as he momentarily stopped walking to look at Danny agape. _Ayako?! Why would I ever want to go out with someone like her!? And what would happen if I win anyway? I could use this bet as an excuse to get him to open up, maybe even get him to tell me about his scars… But that might be a bit too much, he'll tell us all when he's ready… But there is something I can do that I know can be a benefit for both me and him… _Finally, Monk shook his head,

"And I if I win," he prodded, "…You have to take an oath that solemnly swears you to come to me anytime you're scared, stressed or need my help."

Danny crinkled his brows a bit as he thought over Monk's proposal. A ghost's oath, a solemn sacred oath, was practically unbreakable- a ghost King's oath even more so. If he agreed, that would mean anytime he had a nightmare, a fight with Sam (it happened rarely but it did happen a few times in the past), if there was trouble, he would have to inform Monk. It wouldn't be that much a problem, but it would be a lot of opening up on Danny's part. He didn't want Monk, or anyone, to see him in his weakest moments. For a brief moment, he thought about what Monk's motivates were. _Maybe he's just trying to be a good friend,_ Danny thought, _I really should stop being so paranoid._ Danny's expression softened before he stuck out his hand. Taking the hint, Monk and Danny shook hands firmly.

"You got yourself a deal."


	55. Scars and Cold Shoulder

**Author Note: Only one filler chapter (this one, however, kind of relates to the plot? It adds to the mystery of Danny for Naru and shows how Danny's absence affected Sam) before the next case. So excited and hope you guys are too!  
~CWA**

* * *

**CHAPTER FIFTY-FOUR: SCARS AND COLD SHOULDER**

* * *

**Third Person**

A week after their case at the orphanage, Naru found himself sitting in his private office well after dark with only Lin as company. He frowned to himself as he looked over the papers on his desk. It had been only a week… And yet he was still thinking about the scars that Danny had displayed on his chests. The image of Danny's scars had itched itself in Naru's mind. Some of the scars were obviously caused by a fight; he could tell from the way that they were littered randomly on his body, some were deep while others were not. It was a bit distressing to learn that Danny had been in fights that caused him that much damage. _I doubt it was a ghost that did that to him,_ Naru mused, _Danny is too strong of a psychic to let a ghost do that much damage to him which means those scars were caused by actual fights or a very powerful ghost. I'm not sure which one is more concerning. _He shook his head slightly. There was particular scar that caused him the most concern- the one that took up a majority of Danny's chest in the shape of a _'Y'. _The skin around it was so flayed and rough, meaning it had to have been a deep scar. It bulged slightly and was slightly red suggesting that it was at some point irritated by either the weather or Danny had scratched at it.

_Such scars had obviously traumatized him greatly, _Naru mused, _and he admitted that it was surgeons, but not necessarily surgeons or doctors that were in their right mind. Does this mean he had just found the surgery to be insane? No that wouldn't line up with his reactions… But if it wasn't a professional surgery, which it really wasn't, then that means whomever did that to him had to have held him down tight enough so that they could make such precise cuts…_

Naru rubbed his temples with a sigh. The more he thought about it, the more frustrating it got. He was always learning new things about Danny, things that were not mentioned in case records from _Fenton Flames,_ the internet, any magazines, or anywhere. _If something like that happened, it would have been mentioned somewhere surely? By all accounts, something like that wouldn't have been able to stay hidden, especially if he got it on a case, yet there's nothing. But the scars are proof that at least something did happen…_ _What's to say something won't happen again? What's to say whomever did that to him, or whatever, won't come back and do it again to either himself or another person? _He let out another frustrated sigh before taking a sip of his tea, noting that it wasn't as good as the tea that Mai made.

"You could always ask," Lin finally chimed in, "Or wait. Daniel will tell us when he is ready to share the information… I know you are dying to know what happened and despite how much you hide it, I do know you are worried about the boy as am I, but going through all these records will not do much good."

Naru let out a small huff. As much as he hated to admit it, Lin was right; Naru just wasn't much of a patient person. He wanted answers now, not later._ However I don't think I have much of a choice,_ Naru thought grimly.

* * *

Danny looked over toward where Sam was sitting on the bed. A small 'feud' had erupted between the couple since Danny's return as Danny did not contact her at all during the case. For him to return with the news of the team finding his scars, smelling faintly like blood and vomit, and with bags under his eyes did not help his pleading case to her. After making sure he wasn't hurt, she went directly to ignoring him. All of it could stop if Danny just said a few words. Of course Danny didn't realize that he just needed to apologize and promise her that he would stay in touch next time, which made it all seem a bit dire for Danny as Sam continued to snub him. Her face was still turned into a frown as she crossed her arms, refusing to look at him. He looked at Ellie pleadingly as if the girl was capable of helping him. She shook her head with a shrug as if to say _'you're on your own'_ before speaking up,

"Since you and Sam aren't talking to each other, can I go see Mai," Ellie asked cutely with a big hopeful grin.

"We're talking," Danny denied as he went over to Sam.

He gave her a cautious look, _please don't bite me,_ before finally he put his arm around her shoulders to prove his point. Sam didn't even move or give any reaction what so ever. Danny gave a forced shaky grin,

"See? We're perfectly alright? Aren't we Sam?"

Sam offered no reply, just huffing again as Danny hugged her shoulders. At her cold reaction, Danny frowned slightly as he furrowed his brows in concern. Seeing the reactions, Ellie shifted her feet as she pondered about what to say or do next.

"Is that a yes or a no," she asked bluntly.

"No," Danny shook his head, "You're not going to Mai. It's already pretty late and that would be rude. Why don't you go head to bed and I'll come in to read you a story in just a bit?"

Ellie frowned as she thought over the offer. Finally the girl nodded before she eagerly ran out of the room toward her own bedroom. As soon as she left, Danny sighed and turned to Sam. His eyes were wide as he pleaded with her.

"Sam, please… Just tell me what I did wrong, Sammykins…"

He leaned his head against her shoulder as he begged her, giving her the best pout he could muster as he looked up at her. Sam finally looked at him and felt a tug on her heart strings as she finally gave one last huff. She gently pushed Danny off of her, but it was hard enough that landed on his back against the bed with a thud.

"Danny," she said firmly, "I am not talking to you until you apologize and promise me. I mean really _promise me_ that you will keep in contact on your next case. Do you know how worried I was?"

She looked up at him with a glare, but tears were threatening to spill from her eyes. Her fists were clenched at her sides in frustration and it was that moment that Danny realized how much Sam was hurt by him not contacting her. He sat up in the bed slowly, frowning as he slowly grasped Sam's fists gently. Sam closed her eyes with a shaky breath, shaking slightly.

"I was worried Danny," her voice cracked as she continued, "After… The last time you didn't contact me you were being… _experimented _on by your parents… You almost _died._ You left everyone to come here and… I thought…."

Her voice wavered before she gulped, holding back the tears that were already starting to stain her cheeks. A tremor of fear went through her followed by a wave of guilt and shame. Her words hit Danny's heart as he let out a small hiss of frustration. How could he have been so stupid? Danny held Sam's fist with one hand, but he used the other to gently wipe away Sam's tears.

"You thought I left again," Danny continued softly, "You thought I was gone again…Sam.. I will never leave you again, you understand that? Sam, look at me."

Her eyes slowly opened as she looked at him. She should have known that Danny was never going to leave her. _But after what happened with his parents, _she thought, _I was so scared something happened to him again and I was oblivious to it. I was scared he was going to leave again… _She let out a shaky breath as Danny took her fists in his hands, peering directly into her eyes.

"Sam, I love you. You're my… You're my fiancée," his voice broke slightly as a small blush went across his face, "I love you Sam and I will never leave you. You have my word as both your fiancé, your best friend _and as a ghost King_ that I will never leave you again."

His voice was firm, but gentle as they sat there on the bed together. Danny's oath to her caused him to feel a ripple of power go through him. _A King's oath is never broken._ Sam broke away from him as she let out a shaky sob. She threw her arms around him as she nuzzled her face into the crook of his neck. He tensed slightly for just a moment before relaxing and putting his arms around her.

"I promise Sammy," he whispered.

She tore away from him gently with a small smile at on her face. She wiped at her eyes with the back of her left hand, but used her right hand to deliver a gentle punch on his shoulder.

"I told you not to call me that."


	56. A Case Like No Other Part I

**Author Note: Please review!**

**~CWA**

* * *

**CHAPTER FIFTY-FIVE: A CASE LIKE NO OTHER PART I**

* * *

**Third Person**

Danny looked over the files in his hand as he sat down in his office. Rubbing his temples with a sigh, he set the files down with a defeated expression. A part of him knew he could (most likely) handle the case on his own. It would be no issue to get in, do what needs to be done, and get out. Yet because of the severity of the situation, a part of him knew that he may need some help on the case. Aside from that, it would give him an excuse to do a case with SPR again.

Sam walked into the office with Ellie propped on her hip. She frowned slightly when she saw how tired Danny looked.

"Are you still stressing about that case," she asked with a bit of a tsk, "Danny, I told you just ask for some help from Mai and the others. You don't need to stress yourself out this much…."

She shook her head a bit in disappointment as Danny looked up at her tiredly with wide, slightly bloodshot eyes. Sam's expression softened seeing him work himself so thin. She hide her smirk as she ruffled his hair affectionately,

"Careful, at this rate, your entire head is going to white."

Danny gave her a tired grin as he fixed his hair with one hand. _Not that there's much to fix, _Sam thought dryly as she set Ellie down on the desk by his papers. He gave them a minor panicked expression before he quickly moved all the papers into drawers where Ellie couldn't reach them. Sam rolled her eyes at the panic in his eyes before she got behind him to start rubbing his shoulders. She rubbed his shoulders affectionately and could already feel all the knots forming from the stress.

"Chill, Danny," she said calmly, "Just take it easy."

"I can't take it easy," Danny whined, "Sam, you know why I'm taking this case! I can't just… I can't do it on my own…"

His voice dropped low and wavered a bit as he continued,

"I can't do it on my own… But I don't want to endanger people either. Part of me just wants to walk in, do all my ghost stuff, get out, but I know it's not going to be so simple not when…"

He trailed off, but Sam knew exactly what he was saying. Her eyes became hooded as she sighed deeply. Giving up trying to get the knots out of his shoulders, she settled for just draping her arms around him as she rested her chin on his shoulder. Her eyes were focused on Ellie, making sure the little girl wasn't listening into the conversation. Thankfully, the little girl was already falling asleep on the desk, using Danny's folder as a pillow.

"-Because so many people went missing," her voice was barely above a whisper, "…And those that did turn up were found tied to a table and torn up as if they were dissected or vivisected…."

Danny reached his hands up and clasped Sam's hands on his chest. He refused to look anywhere but at the ground. The past few weeks were tough. He had a quiet birthday that not even the SPR group knew about. He was just too stressed about the case to even see them at that time. He let out a shaky breath as he remembered seeing the pictures in the case file that was given to him by the client. The pictures of the poor victims were gruesome to say the least, but due to it being paranormal in nature, there was little anyone could do.

"I have to help them," Danny's voice cracked, "I… I can't let anyone else go through that. The fact that there's already been three people who had to suffer through that is…"

He took another a shaky breath and dropped Sam's hands before standing suddenly, causing her to nearly fall backwards. Danny didn't turn around as he walked straight out the door.

"I have to get SPR on this case," his voice was faint as he left the room, "…I don't think I'd be able to get through this without them."

* * *

Danny had called everyone to meet him in the main room of _Fenton Flames. _He felt that since he was the one presenting the case that they should meet at his business. Naru and Lin had come as soon as they heard that the case was interesting, bringing Mai along with them. The others came just as eagerly, but Danny wasn't too sure if it was because he had a case or if it was to see him again (due to researching this new case, he had lost touch with everyone for the past few weeks).

They all sat down in multiple couches and chairs as Danny sat down at a small desk nearby, gathering some extra files that were kept there. He furrowed his brows as he looked through the drawers and multiple loose papers, ignoring the presence of the group. Sam still stood nearby with Ellie propped on her hip, but shook her head as it became obvious that Danny forgot which drawer he placed the files in.

"They're in the drawer in your private office," Sam chimed.

"Oh," he stood up straight and scratched at his head, ruffling his hair a bit as he did so, "Are you sure?"

"You placed them there to get them away from Ellie just a second ago," Sam said dryly, "I'm pretty sure. But since you're about to get down to business, I'm going back home with Ellie."

Sam gave Danny a quick peck on the cheek,

"Take it easy," she whispered into his ear briefly, "You'll do fine and if you ever need some extra help, call me and I'll come."

"Thanks Sam," Danny gave a small smile as Sam gave him a small punch on the shoulder,

"And remember to call me when you get there and keep me updated."

Danny laughed a bit nervously as he rubbed at the now sore spot on his arm. He didn't even have to look over to hear Monk and John laughing to themselves at the scene. Sam gave one last curt nod with a quick _'I love you'_ before leaving with Ellie on her hip. The little girl leaned over Sam's shoulder and waved goodbye to everyone as she left with Sam. As soon as the two were gone, Danny was quick to grab everything from his private office and come back with a sigh.

"Not very organized," Naru observed, causing Danny to look up at him with tired eyes.

"Yeah, well you try staying organized with only five hours asleep in the past week. See how well you do."

"Five hours," Monk repeated in disbelief, "All week?! What have you been doing!?"

"This," Danny held up the folder with the multiple papers before setting it on the table in front of the group, "This also happens to be the reason I.. Umm… Dropped off the face of the earth for a while, so to speak. The case itself is very interesting and the situation is dire."

He opened up the folder revealing multiple papers, pictures and newspaper clippings. He pointed to the first paper in the stack that showed a picture of an older university.

"This is Padua University in Italy, most popular for a famous previous professor in the 1500s. What's interesting, however, isn't it's past but it's present. The anniversary for the University is arriving soon and with it comes its ghost from the past. Quite literally."

He flipped through the papers until he reached a newspaper clipping which he showed to the group. The newspaper was somewhat recent showing a picture of the university along with pictures of multiple young universality students.

"Four weeks ago, disappearances started. Kade Amello was the first to go missing and he has yet to be found and by now is presumed dead. Shortly after, two more students followed. After the first three students, there were three more that went missing- Jacey Ambrosi, Nadia Basile, and Lael Carboni. The last three, however, were found days after their disappearance."

Danny's hand dropped from the newspaper as his eyes became hooded. His hand hovered briefly over the papers and the suspension caused a thick heavy aura to fill the room. The group shared uncertain looks and concerned looks, a bit hesitate to find out what condition the missing students were found in. Danny took in a deep breath before he continued. He finally flipped through the papers and spread out multiple pictures across the table, allowing them all to see the gruesome sights. Mai and Masako both let out horrified gasps. _That's horrible,_ Mai thought with a shiver, _that's… That's worse than even the Urado case…_

Each picture showed three different people, but all of them were in similar states. They were naked, tied up to a table, discolored and clearly _very_ dead. Their chests were cut neatly down the middle with the skin was pinned over their sides by nails, revealing their organs, bones and other insides. Blood covered not only their bodies, but everywhere around them as well. A table stood nearby the 'operation table', but it was barren of anything aside from blood. There were even buckets that looked that they contained some organs and were filled with a bit of blood.

Mai was barely able to bite back any bile at the sight as she buried her face into Ayako, shivering slightly. Ayako hugged the girl tightly with a solemn expression, but her eyes portrayed just how disturbed and horrified that she was. Masako was covering her face with her kimono sleeve as she took deep calming breaths, wondering just how disturbed those poor victims' spirits were. John, Monk and Yasuhara had to tear their eyes away from the pictures. Naru, however, was intently studying the pictures with a deep frown, Lin mirroring the same expression. They were forced to stop looking when Danny took the pictures away and shoved them deep into the file, away from prying eyes. Naru looked briefly up at Lin and they shared a look that seemed to be a silent conversation in itself.

It didn't take a genius to see the eerie similarity of the victims' chest and Danny's scars, though apparently Naru and Lin were the only ones to really see the disturbing similarity that stirred up too many questions. _Their cuts,_ Naru mused, _are in the same spot as Danny's own scars and even have the same positioning. Fenton couldn't have gone through this exactly, it's impossible to survive, but it's clear he went through something similar. I can only imagine how difficult this must be for him._ Naru glanced toward Danny briefly.

Danny was hunched over the table slightly with a dark expression, taking deep calming breaths as he gripped the table tightly. It only lasted a moment, but Naru could see the grief, frustration, the horror that flooded Danny's face as if he just shortly saw a brief flashback of something terrible. _He may have,_ Naru frowned, thinking back to his earlier observation. However, Danny gathered himself quickly as he continued.

"Radley Dioli is the one who contacted me. He's currently the one in charge of the university and has currently temporarily shut it down to allow me, or us, to conduct the investigation. However, it can't stay closed forever since it is a university, which gives me, or us, a limited amount of time. All expenses are being paid for by the university. I know I'm asking for a lot here, but… There's no one I'd rather conduct this investigation with so I'm asking you all…"

Danny looked up briefly with a goofy smile on his face,

"Whose up for a trip to Italy?"


	57. A Case Like No Other Part II

**Author Note: Vesalius was a real person and, for the most part, the information regarding him is true. He did teach at Padua University. He really did do experiments by dissecting human corpses by himself in public (showing a class) or in private. And he is the one who helped people understand the human body because up until that point everyone pretty much believed Galen's works. I read about this in history class and honestly my first thought was, _oh this is perfect _(cue the distant sound of evil laughter). **

**~CWA**

* * *

**CHAPTER FIFTY-SIX: A CASE LIKE NO OTHER PART II**

* * *

**Day One**

The flight to Italy was a long, slightly unpleasant one to most of the ones in the group. Thankfully, everyone had agreed to join in and Mai's school had no qualms with her going either. However, they quickly found just how many of them get air sick. Mai glanced to the empty seat beside here where Ayako was supposed to be before glancing toward the section where the bathroom was located with a bit of a sigh. Monk was close to pounding on the bathroom door so he could get in there himself; his face was a bit green as he held onto his stomach.

She glanced toward the others of the group. The plane itself wasn't very high-class, but it was at least flyable and therefore quite crowded. She was barely able to spot the others in their seats. Lin was fast asleep in his seat with a book over his face, having most likely fell asleep reading. Masako was asleep as well, curled a bit into her seat as she snored softly. Naru was reading papers from the case and discussing them quietly with Danny a few seats behind Mai. Though, Danny seemed like he wanted to do anything _but_ talk about the case. He kept glancing longingly toward Lin and it took a moment for Mai to understand why. _He wants to get some sleep. It's reasonable. He does look pretty tired. _

Mai didn't have any more time to dwell on it as Ayako returned with a green, disgruntled face. She sat down slowly with a bit of a groan.

"I hate planes," she moaned, "When are we landing?"

"Not for at least another hour," Danny piqued up from a few rows behind them, "And try slow breathing exercises, it does wonders!"

After making the quick statement which had caused Ayako to groan in misery, Danny quickly went back to his conversation with Naru. Naru was frowning to himself as he looked over the papers in his hands.

"Did you contact any of their families? Did any of the victims have anything in common aside from being Italian and the University?"

"Yes, actually," Danny explained as he stretched briefly, "I contacted the families briefly, but I'd rather not bother them any further than necessary since they are still grieving. However, I did look into each of their backgrounds and files. Each student had something unique about them."

Naru raised an eyebrow and motioned for Danny to continue. Danny scratched at his head slightly as he thought about the best way to explain. Finally, he was able to answer.

"Kade Amello was deaf, the other two students following him also had some sort of disability. One was mute due to deformed vocal chords and the other was blind. Jacey Ambrosi was exceptionally smart with the highest IQ in the University. Nadia Basile had down syndrome. Finally, Lael Carboni was paralyzed from the waist down."

"So each of them had something that made them different," Naru mused, "Interesting that the spirit is not targeting average people."

_Interesting,_ Danny scoffed mentally as he leaned back with a sigh, _that's one way of putting it…_

* * *

The Padua University proved itself to be very large and very beautiful. The large yard surrounded it with a large black gate to protect it. Something about it, however, seemed to give off a more eerie aura with its old architecture and regal air. The SPR group and Danny couldn't help but look around in wonder as they approached the large front doors of the building. _Italy in general has been so beautiful,_ Mai thought with awe, _It's so new and fascinating... I never thought I'd even leave Japan! Even if it was for a case and here I am!_ She got a small grin on her face as she became excited. Danny glanced at her briefly with an amused grin before he focused on the people standing in front of the university waiting for the group.

Two people were waiting at the steps for the paranormal specialists. One was an older Italian man dressed in a sharp suit with his hair slicked back. His face was wrinkled a bit and his eyes were showing distress. Danny assumed the man was Radley Dioli, the one who had contacted Danny in the first place, however he had no idea who the other person was. The Italian woman standing next to Radley was a lot younger, about nineteen at most despite her being barely over five feet tall. Her long black hair was a bit wild and only tamed by a loose ponytail and she seemed to be a mix of excited and nervous as her dark eyes scanned the group cautiously with a small grin before blushing and looking away. She played with the sleeves of her long sweater as she bit her lip, the blush still present on her face. _For a college student, she sure seems… small,_ Mai thought curiously before shaking the thought away.

"Hello," Radley greeted cheerfully as he stepped toward the group, "I am Radley Dioli. This is Dabria Discella, the top student in our paranormal research class, who is here to help me assistant you in any way that we can."

Radley's voice was a bit rough and he spoke slowly as he pronounced each word carefully in English, which thankfully was understood by everyone in the group. Dabria smiled shyly as she waved to the group in greeting, but she refused to meet their eyes. Danny stepped forward, taking the position of leader.

"Hello I'm Daniel Fenton," he reached his hand out for a handshake, which was returned, "With me I have Shibuya Psychic Research, also one of the bests. May I present Kazuya Shibuya, the head of SPR with his three assistants, Lin Koujo, Mai Taniyama and Osamu Yasuhara. I also have Ayako Matsuzaki, Masako Hara, Houshou Takigawa and John Brown."

"Your help is much appreciate," Dabria spoke up softly, still not looking up at the group completely.

"And we gladly offer all the help we can give," Danny responded warmly, "I only hope we can get this settled quickly before anything else happens. Now…"

He turned to Radley as he continued,

"Can you please give my group and I a tour of the location so that we can set up our equipment? Along with a room we can use as our HQ?"

Radley nodded in understanding as he processed the words carefully before answering,

"Of course, follow us please."

Radley turned and entered the building gracefully with Dabria at his side. Unlike Radley, Dabria glanced back briefly with a blush to see if they were following. Danny led his group into the building, following Radley slowly as he felt the area for spirits. Stepping through the doorway, Danny immediately felt a change in the air that was felt by a good portion of the SPR group as well. Danny tensed slightly as he felt the presence of a ghost somewhere in the building. However, the spirit was too far away from him for him to be able to sense if it was a normal ghost or something more. Whatever it was, it gave off the sense of absolute _evil. _He glanced briefly toward the others, noticing that they all suddenly became tense and aware of their surroundings.

"Stay close together," Danny ordered quietly, "We cannot be separated at this moment."

Despite all the lights and large windows, everything seemed dark causing an eerie lighting causing Mai to shiver slightly, _at this moment? I don't think I ever want to be separated from the group, not in a place like this… _She walked a bit closer to Danny and Naru at the front of the group in a bit of fear as they continued down the dark hallways. Mai stopped briefly, however, when a portrait on the wall caught her eye.

"Hey, who's that," Mai asked curiously.

Her question, which was spoken in English for the ease of the two Italians with them, caused the rest of the group to pause (including the guides). Danny looked at the portait briefly before replying,

"If I'm not mistaken, that's Vesalius. He's one of the reasons this place is so famous."

"What'd he do," Ayako piqued up.

"Well basically," Danny started to explain, "up until the 1500s, people's understanding of the human body came from the work of a Greek philosopher named Galen. However, his work was inaccurate because he did experiments on animals instead of human corpses. So Vesalius studied at several universities and began his own experiments and observations. He dissected human corpses, alone and in the public, without an assistant. He taught his work here at this very university."

He gestured toward the painting of the man as he spoke, but his eyes showed that his mind was elsewhere. Naru took a step forward as if sensing what Danny was speaking about.

"You think he's the one we're dealing with?"

Danny frowned slightly, returning his hands to his sides as he thought it over. Finally, he spoke,

"I think it's possible and I think he's the most likely suspect since people have been dissected. Considering this is where Vesalius taught, it can be anything from a spirit obsessed with his works or Vesalius himself. It may even be something completely different, but I can't be sure before we conduct our own experiments."

Danny glanced briefly at the portrait again. _This whole case just screams bad news… _


	58. A Case Like No Other Part III

**Author Note: Forgot to say this yesterday, but Happy (late) April Fools Day! I pranked my family by taping Nicholas Cage's face over every single face in every single picture around the house and I taped an airhorn to the wall so when they opened the door, they'd set it off (it worked).**

**~CWA**

* * *

**CHAPTER FIFTY-SEVEN: A CASE LIKE NO OTHER PART III**

* * *

**Day One (Continued)**

The room they were given to use as a base was fairly large. It was more than enough room for all of their equipment and sleeping materials such as sleeping bags, blankets and pillows. Due to it being a University, there were no actual beds for them to use nor room separators. Of course, Ayako and Masako weren't so happy to learn that they would all be sleeping in the same room, but it was of course for safety measures.

Both Dioli and Dabria had left shortly after showing the team to their room, eager to leave the cursed University. The others got to work on setting up the multiple computers and other equipment and Danny wasted no time in getting everything set up. He took a large red container out of the large duffle bag he had carried in with him and placed it on a nearby table. Mai looked at it curiously, but once she saw the white cross on it, she understood that it was a medical kit. Noticing her look, Danny gave her a thin smile,

"You never know when it's needed," he said simply, "And this has everything we ever could need from a life or death situation to a simple cut. Speaking of life or death…"

He trailed off slightly as he started to rummage through the duffle bag once more. He pulled a few of the few of the Specter Deflectors and despite minor protesting from Masako, Monk and Ayako, he forced them all to wear one.

"Considering that people have gone missing and even been found _dissected,_ I have to ask all of you to wear a Specter Deflector, _please._ and to _not be alone no matter what. _Am I clear?"

The group shared slightly uneasy looks as they turned on the strange devices.

"Crystal," Monk finally answered, "But why aren't you wearing one?"

Danny winced slightly as he rummaged through his mind to find a suitable answer. Finally, he spoke, having come up with a more believable lie.

"My abilities are… complicated," his voice wavered slightly, "I can't use them when I have a Specter Deflector on. Something about them just blocks my psychic abilities, yet they don't do it to anyone else. Just one of the many bugs, I guess."

He shrugged slightly and they nodded in understanding, though the frowns on their faces made it clear that they didn't like him not wearing one of the belts as well. Though they didn't voice their thoughts, knowing that Danny would be able to convince them that he doesn't need one in the end. _He is just too charming,_ Monk thought, a bit irritated, _it's hard to disagree with the guy sometimes. _Danny seemed oblivious to everyone's concerned, silent conversation as he continued to look through the bag before finally taking out multiple things such as different vials of different salts, liquids and various other things that they couldn't really identify by just looking at it.

"I don't want anyone to disappear like what happened at the Kaneyuki Mansion," Danny spoke low and slowly as he examined one of the vials for any cracks, "Because this may not kill you, but it sure as hell will make you wish you were dead. So I'm warding this room with my specific wards to keep everything and anything _out of this room_. It's already late, so we'll have to get to rest soon."

Danny turned toward the various vials. He had lined them all up neatly on the table. There was perhaps three small bottle-like vials that seemed to contain the same almost glowing green liquid, two vials of something that resembled blood yet it was lighter and more watery, and four other bottles that they couldn't identify along with three bottles of what seemed to be salt. Maybe he was overreacting, just a bit, but this case struck a deep chord within him that was causing him to be more defensive. Aside from that, he had a gut feeling that something was going to happen. Unluckily, like he had always told Sam, '_listen to your gut- it's usually right.'_

_Ectoplasm,_ Danny counted the vials, _it should help amplify the affects of my wards. Along with liquefied herbs that should offer some protection. _He eyed the red bottle with caution. _Even liquefied blood blossoms. _He gulped thickly. Over the years, the effects of blood blossoms that stopped causing him intense pain unless he ingested it. Whether it was because of his human half or because he proved himself to be one of the most powerful ghosts (so powerful that one of his few weaknesses couldn't effect him anymore), he wasn't sure. Liquefied blood blossoms, he had found, offered a lot more protection when mixed with the salt borders. He also had regular blood blossoms as well.

The red rare flower was not extinct in this dimension, but it was still very rare despite the fact that no one was very interested in it. Though he wasn't sure if their lack of interest was because it was so rare to find or if because they had yet to find any uses for it. It was, after all, only named rare due to a high number of herbivores that favored it as well as the destruction of its habitats. Thankfully, Danny was able to fly to some of the few places it still grew and collected enough to start his own personal small garden back at _Fenton Flames; _the sprinklers inside the indoor garden with artificial sunlight was made to go off at certain times and days so Danny rarely had to go down there.

He turned from the vials briefly to look at the others of the group, all of them were busy setting up equipment with the Specter Deflector attached firmly at their hips. When his eyes landed on Naru, he scowled.

"Naru," he stated sternly, "Wear the damn belt."

"If you claim to be my equal as far as psychic abilities go, then it's possible it will block my abilities as well," Naru's face was impassive as he spoke calmly, "Whether I plan on using them or not doesn't matter, I cannot limit myself like that."

Mai looked between Naru and Danny with concern, as did the others. Danny's face was scrunched up in anger and annoyance; it was one of the few times that they have seen him actually _angry_. Naru, like usual, seemed to be calm but his eyes were narrowed into an icy glare. Danny let out a few noises of frustration, but was unable to find a good argument. He set down the vial he was holding and looked through the duffle bag. He pulled out one large red flower blossom that none of them recognized.

"You brought… flowers," Yasuhara asked in disbelief and confusion, "I wasn't aware that certain smells bothered spirits?"

"This one does," Danny said simply before tossing the flower to Naru, "It's edible and I've been told it doesn't taste bad. I can't eat it myself due to an allergy I have against the flower, but knock yourself out."

"What will eating it do," Naru asked, his voice wavered slightly, "What type of flower is it?"

"I just call them Blood Blossoms," Danny shrugged, "Always have. It's for their bloody petals. They are the _best_ natural thing to have against _any_ spirit, monster, ghost or even a demon. I know from experience. It's a pretty rare flower, but I have connections. Now eat. Devouring it will protect you from possession for the next sixteen hours or so, then you'll need to eat another one. I have plenty so I'm not too concerned about it, but I need some to set up around the room to ward off anything."

Naru nodded slowly as he took in the words, questions reeling in his mind. He slowly opened his mouth and took a small bite of the flower, trusting Danny's words. The others watched in anticipation, curious as to what Naru's reaction would be to the taste. Naru blinked slowly as he chewed and finally swallowed. He glared lightly at Danny, who was already back to looking through the vials and his bag.

"It's not bad," Naru admitted quietly before finishing off the flower with a bit of a grimace.

_So that's what it takes for him to eat his vegetables,_ Lin thought, a bit amused at the situation. He quickly turned to Danny, however, as a thought occurred to him.

"How come the rest of the paranormal community doesn't know about this?"

"Because it's a _rare flower, _which is one of the many reasons I only bring it if I feel it's _absolutely _needed,_"_ Danny stressed, his back to everyone as he continued to look through his bag, "If everyone knew about it, then it'd go extinct even fasters. People would illegally smuggle it, grow it, sell it. Aside from all of that, this flower is also dangerous if misused."

"Dangerous," Mai spoke up, "But it's just a flower for protection, isn't it?"

Danny took some more of the flowers from his bag and placed them at all doorways, windows and vents of the room.

"Well, yes, but think about it, there are good spirits and ghosts as well as bad ones. If people knew about these flowers, think about all the innocent spirits that would be in pain or get hurt without the chance for a peaceful ending?… I also had a run-in with a witch cult that knew about these flowers. Apparently, they're also good for demonic rituals. Not a pretty sight."

At the mention of demonic rituals, most of the group let out a shiver. John seemed the most disturbed as he gripped the cross necklace around his neck. Monk clenched his fist slightly as he took a calming breath. Mai imagined that whatever a demonic ritual, which the name itself didn't sound good, was _very_ bad news. Danny didn't seem phased as he continued with his business, starting with salting the door.

"Do you think that's what we're dealing with," Naru spoke up as Danny began pouring one of the green vials onto the salt.

The salt began to soak up the green thick liquid as Danny frowned.

"It's possible, but I don't think so. I get the sense of something very _evil_ here and because so many people have been dissected, I'm kind of on edge, but I don't think it's _that_ type of evil. Demonic evil is more unsettling than what I am feeling right now."

"You've dealt with demons," John piped up curiously, "I wasn't aware that you were experienced with them."

"I am," Danny nodded solemnly, "I had a few run ins, both here and in England mostly. If you don't mind I have to…"

His voice trailed off as he gestured toward the salted doorway. The salt had turned an eerie shade of green that seemed to glow almost. Understanding, John nodded and took a step back to give Danny a bit more room. Naru watched intently as the mystery of Danny just grew even more when he thought there was nothing left. Danny smiled slightly before turning to the doorway. He did a quick chant in Esperanto and Mai recognized it as one of the ones he had said before. As he spoke, the salt almost seemed to _fizzle_ before finally it died down, leaving a powerful sense of protection in the room. Danny gave a small proud nod at his work before moving on.

The others watched in quiet, curious silence as Danny repeated the same process to the other doorway in the room as well as the vents and windows. It took awhile, but eventually Danny had finished the wards (some he had used salt along with the odd green vials while others he used the other vials with salt). Despite what vial he used with the wards, the wards were powerful. The room felt _clean, safe_, _warm_ and _protected._ _It's like a nice warm blanket on a cold day,_ Mai thought absently, _it's comfortable; I've never felt this strong sense of safe security before. Even at the apartment, I worry about intruders or burglars, but here I'm not concerned at all. I know I'm safe and I trust Danny. _

Danny smiled slightly as he wiped his hands on his jeans,

"There. Now it's getting pretty late, it's what? Like one in the morning? We all should probably get to bed and then we'll do the investigation tomorrow. I just have to call Sam first, I kind of promised her that I would stay in touch."

Danny rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly before stepped toward the side of the room, out of anyone's way, and took out his cell. He already had a few missed calls and texts from her. He quickly skimmed the texts, all saying that he better be okay otherwise she'd fly to Italy herself to _'kick his dumb ass.'_ He smiled slightly before he punched in her number and brought the cell to his ear.

"Hey Sammy," he finally greeted into the phone, "What? Yeah, I'm in Italy, already at the University…Yes, I'll be careful…Yes, I'm okay… Yes, I'm _sure _I'm okay… Yes, I will _stay_ okay. The room we have as our base is warded heavily… No, it's with my wards? What do you mean? Did I never tell you about those?… Well I can… No, I am not _shitting you_…"

Monk briefly looked over with an amused expression. Mai watched the conversation as well, but she briefly turned to Monk and John.

"It's sweet he calls her, don't you think?"

"Yeah," Monk mused, before sighing dramatically, "_Ah the joys of young love._"

He chuckled slightly, which caused both Mai and John to chuckle as well. Ayako frowned slightly before hitting Monk upside the head.

"Don't mock them. It's very romantic that he calls her to keep her up to date on what he's doing."

"Really," Monk gaffed, "I think it's a bit cheesy and frankly, a bit pointless. You can always just text them."

Ayako crossed her arms hotly,

"Then it's no wonder that you don't have a girlfriend. Texting doesn't have the same effect as an actual call."

"She's right," Masako chimed in softly, "Calling offers a more calming, loving tone than a text message, but a text message can be sweet too."

Danny looked at the group briefly with a stressed expression, causing them to lower their voices as he continued his conversation.

"They all have Specter Deflectors…," Danny continued to speak on the phone, "No, you know I can take care of myself and I already set up the blood blossoms across the room… No, I am not paranoid, I'm_ safe… Sam, _I'm telling you, the blood blossoms work for _all_ types of ghosts and demons, it'll be fine… Yes I'll be fine. It's not like I plan on eating any…. Okay that was one time and if you recall, it wasn't my fault… _One time Sam,_ it was _one time,_ and I don't plan on repeating it…. Okay yes that's true, but I promise I won't repeat it, better?… Good…. Okay Sam, I promise you that I will be _fine._ I'm going to meditate tonight anyway…"

He ran his hands through his hair as she mentioned about all the possibilities of him going into a panic and/or anxiety attack or getting hurt by the ghost. Or worse, getting a panic attack when faced with the ghost or when someone was in danger because of his past experiences with something similar. He let out a shaky breath.

"I promise Sam, really, I have the SPR team, I'm not going to- yes I know that those things aren't exactly planned but- _Sam,_ I will be fine, really…. Of course I sound stressed! You just- Okay I'm sorry…. Thank you… I love you, Sammykins. See ya when I get back. Tell Ellie I love her too. Bye."

He finally hung up the phone with a defeated expression. He gave everyone an apologetic look,

"Sorry, she worries about me sometimes… Now let's get some sleep."

No one voiced any protests, being too tired to do so as they all gathered into their sleeping bags. Danny was the last to finally lay down on his temporary bed as he furrowed his brows. _Just how bad is this case going to get. _


	59. A Case Like No Other Part IV

**Author Note: Thank you for all of the reviews, favorites and follows!  
~CWA**

* * *

**CHAPTER FIFTY-EIGHT: A CASE LIKE NO OTHER PART IV**

* * *

**Day Two**

The next morning, they wasted no time in splitting into two groups (Lin, Naru, Ayako and Yasuhara in one group with Monk, John, Mai, Masako, and Danny in the other). Thanks to Ayako, everyone had charms with them to ward off spirits as well, though Danny's charm was shoved into his pocket, torn slightly down the middle so that it's effects were gone as it caused him too much discomfort.

As Danny and his group wandered around taking temperature readings of each room, he couldn't shake the feeling of someone watching them from a distance. Far enough for them to not be noticed, but close enough that he could still sense their eyes on them all. Masako seemed just as unnerved as she stood close to Danny in the current room that they were taking readings of.

"There's someone here," she whispered, "I…It feels strong, it feels… different… I haven't sensed something like this before…"

"I know," he whispered back to her, "But it's too far away for me to actually sense the spirit itself. I can't tell what type of ghost it is…"

He narrowed his eyes and looked around cautiously as he spoke to her. Masako nodded, silently agreeing with him. Mai glanced toward the two of them briefly with a small frown. _I wonder what they're whispering about that they don't want us to hear? Is it something bad? _She bit her lip and continued to take some readings with Monk and John, but no matter how many readings they took, it all revealed the same thing. Mai rubbed her arms slightly at the chill in the air,

"It's four degrees," she announced the readings to Danny, "but it's getting colder fast…. Already three degrees and steadily lowering."

"We better stay here for a bit then," Danny mused, "Something's here and we need to find out what."

Mai rubbed her arms again at the chill. Danny's expression went from cautious and cold to something soft as he took off his leather jacket. He still kept the gloves on his hands, but he placed the jacket over Mai's shoulders, knowing that Masako's kimono would keep her warm. With his jacket off, the thin scars lining his arms were visible and he was standing so close to Mai to keep her warm, that she couldn't help but stare at them. _I know we saw his scars before, but I was so focused on the ones on his chest that I didn't realize he had scars on his arms too… _

Monk looked over the readings,

"It seems to stay steady at this temperature," he announced, "Not that it's any better really."

He let out a shaky cold breath which was visible in the chilly room. Thankfully, Monk and John both had jackets that kept them warm and Masako's kimono was very warm as well. Mai was content with Danny's jacket on as it was so much larger than her, almost reaching the back of her knees and nearly devouring her with all the leather.

"Aren't you going to get cold," John voiced his concern toward Danny.

"Nah," Danny waved it off, "I'm naturally cold-blooded."

He winked playfully, which seemed to make them all feel a bit better despite how the air continued to get colder. Danny was on the look-out for spirits, as were John, Monk and Masako, but Mai was still staring at the scars on his arm. Without thinking, she reached up and gently traced one of the scars causing Danny to tense. He clenched his jaw and looked down a bit harshly.

"What are you doing," his voice came out a bit harsher than he meant it to sound, but it didn't bother Mai.

His statement brought everyone to their attention. Monk and John tensed as they saw that Mai was tracing one of Danny's scars that was on his arm in plain sight. Her touch was so light and gentle that it barely even touched. Masako frowned slightly at the action, but like Mai, she was only focused on the scars on his chest when he was shirtless on that previous case. She never noticed that the scars were also lightly adoring his arms. _Maybe that's why he wears that jacket so often,_ Masako wondered before glancing to his gloves, _maybe that's why he wears the gloves too. _

Mai was still oblivious to the harshness in Danny's voice as she continued to trace the scar on his arm. It was small, but it was obviously deep. The cold air only made it seem to stand out even more.

"What happened," she whispered.

Danny stared at her for a moment in tense silence before finally, he forced himself to relax, knowing that she meant no offense or harm, she was just curious. Personally, he'd rather her be asking about the scars on his arms rather than the large one on his chest.

"Just a fight," Danny said simply, "With a spirit, actually. It's not important, but we have some business to-"

He stopped suddenly as he straightened up his back. He let out a chilled breath and that seemed to be in a blue color rather than the more white-clear color of a breath in cold air. He narrowed his eyes, staring at something in the corner that no one else seemed to see. Mai, Monk and John struggled as they squinted, but they couldn't see anything. Masako, however, could _sense_ that whatever spirit was haunting the university was standing there in the corner. Its presence was powerful and dark, causing her to take a step back in shock. _I…I never sensed anything like that before…_ Danny continued to glare at the spirit.

Despite the spirit being invisible, he could clearly make it out due to him being a halfa. Its features matched the portrait in the hall perfectly. It was Vesalius himself. As if that was not bad enough…. _it's a ghost from the Zone… _Danny glared at it heavily as Vesalius studied Danny in curiosity. The ghost's red eyes were harsh and seemed to resemble thick dark blood with a dark, evil glint in them. An unsettling smile was on the ghost's face as their hand clutched a bloody scalpel. It, or he, briefly looked at the rest of the group, but seemed mostly interested in Danny with a large sharp smile.

Seeing the bloody scalpel caused Danny's stomach to turn. He made the mistake of looking the ghost in the eyes. The deep red pools seem almost hypnotizing and the longer he stared into them, the more he got pulled into a dark memory of his past. His chest felt tight and his eyes dilated as his breathing hitched. Suddenly, he wasn't in the University anymore. He was watching as his parents tore him apart with their scalpels and knives. He was being ripped open and having his heart broken mentally as other parts of him broke physically. His lungs flared up in pain as he choked out a breath.

"-ny," Mai asked, her eyes glistening with concern, "Danny, can you hear me?"

She lightly shook his arm as Monk and the others hurried over toward Danny, who seemed frozen on the spot. His eyes were wide with horror as tears started to flow down his cheeks. His breathing had stopped completely for a few seconds, causing them too be concerned.

"Danny," Monk snapped his fingers loudly, "Listen to me, focus on my voice, you're here with us, do you understand me? Danny?"

They all started to speak up, all saying things along the same lines that Danny was here with them and not wherever he was lost in. The ghost was almost forgotten completely as they tried to shake their friend into reality. Finally, Danny snapped out of it as he tore his gaze away from the ghost, looking at all of them with concern as he took in a large much needed breath, slowly._ In…Out…In…Out…_

"Out," Danny's voice wavered and cracked, "We have to get out _now."_

* * *

They all gathered back in their temporary base with the rest of the SPR group. Danny was forced to lean on Monk as he was still out of breath and a bit out of his mind, having difficulty remaining in reality. Naru and the others looked at them in shock as Danny wheezed slightly, muttering under his breath in a different language. Mai vaguely recognized it as the same language he did his chants and wards in- Esperanto.

John and Monk carefully set Danny down in a chair. The young Spiritualist seemed a bit crazed, his eyes darting around nervously and frantically as he tried to get a hold of his thoughts and emotions. He continued to mutter under his breath as he ran his fingers through his hair before stopping suddenly. He held his hands to his chest and rocking in the chair slightly as his hands and shoulders shook with fear.

"What happened," Naru asked, a small bit of concern was in his voice, but his face remained blank.

"We ran into the ghost," Mai answered, "At least I think we did…"

She furrowed her brows slightly. To be honest, she wasn't too sure what happened back in the room. Masako stepped forward, her eyes still a bit wide from shock and fear from feeling the spirit, even if she didn't _see_ it.

"It was a very strong presence," Masako chimed in, "I haven't felt a spirit as strong as that before."

She trailed off a bit as she glanced over toward Danny. He was still taking deep slow breaths as he tried to get a grasp on reality, but it was like it kept slipping through his fingers. He went back and forth from reliving the past to the present. It was getting harder and harder for him to distinguish the two. Monk stood nearby trying to get Danny back to reality by repeating the same things over and over again, saying things such as _'Danny, you're here with us,' 'Deep slow breaths,' 'you're safe.' _ It didn't seem to help much and every time Monk went to touch Danny's shoulder, the young man would sulk away from the touch.

"Danny seemed to have spotted it," John mused out loud, "But I think he saw something that caused a trigger."

"The same thing happened in at one of our previous cases," Monk chimed in, "Something caused him to go into an anxiety attack. But I can't seem to get him back out of this one."

He frowned slightly as he looked at Danny. He was still panicked and out of it, muttering in Esperanto, though a few of the words were spoken in English. It didn't matter. He was speaking too soft for them to catch what he was saying. His hands and arms were twitching constantly and his leg was shaking. They watched him in concern, not sure how to help him. Mai, Monk, John and Yasuhara took a step forward, ready to dare to disturb him. Naru, however, stopped them.

"Don't disturb him," Naru cautioned, "He's meditating. He's warned us what happens when someone disturbs his meditation, _it's dangerous._ And considering his state, the meditation is something he desperately needs. Lin, go get the medical kit, he may need something from there. John, get his bag, there may be something in there that may be able to help as well."

They did as instructed. Naru gave a small, whispered order to stay quiet as to not disturb Danny. Naru quietly opened the medical kit, causing the others to glance back and forth between him and Danny in curiosity. Naru was finally able to find _something _that seemed to cause him pause. Mai could barely read the label on the small shot-like object, which read _Luminal. _Naru wasted no time in using the injection on Danny, causing Danny to twitch before calming.

"Danny," Monk asked cautiously as he got a bit closer.

Danny suddenly stopped speaking as he closed his eyes and took slow deep breaths. He stayed like that a moment, in a calm meditation that seemed to radiate waves of calmness. Danny looked up with wide eyes, but seemed a bit calmer than he did before. He calmly took out the injection with a raised eyebrow toward Naru. Mai made a slightly strangled noise of shock that caused Danny to give her a small reassuring smile that he was okay. Her eyes swelled with tears and no longer able to hold herself back, she tackled him in a tight hug.

"Danny," she cried and the others seemed pleased as well.

Monk joined in on the hug as well, bringing in the others (aside from Naru and Lin) against their will into a large group hug. Danny gave a shaky laugh, his eyes twinkling.

"Not that I don't enjoy hugs, but can you please let me go?"

The group hesitantly let Danny go, happy that he was okay. Mai, however, refused to let the man she saw a big brother go so easily. Danny patted Mai on the back awkwardly,

"Mai, I'm okay."

She sniffled before finally letting him go, standing up to stand by Monk. Danny let out a sigh of relief that he was back to normal, but he glanced down at the injection in his hand. He despised needles, but the label was titled _Luminal, _an injection used for partial seizures. He was aware that he had some sort of partial seizure and thinking about the reason why made him cringe. Naru seemed a bit calm as he stepped forward.

"You had some sort of partial seizure. Why?"

Danny rubbed the back of his neck with a tired sigh,

"I really need to meditate," he mumbled to himself before he continued louder, "The ghost is Vesalius. I saw him and something about him just… It triggered a panic attack when I looked into his eyes and somehow it just evolved into a partial seizure."

"So you do not have epilepsy or any other medical condition that could cause this," Naru asked calmly, "We need to know everything so that we are able to help you."

Danny paused before he answered as everyone shared uneasy, concerned looks. He finally spoke,

"…No. None that are worth mentioning. But… If I ever get into trouble, medically I mean, I have a sort of… _blood condition."_

"Explain," Naru stated simply, his eyes narrowing slightly.

_Wow,_ Mai thought worriedly, _Danny sure has a lot of medical issues for a guy his age. I wonder if it's genetic. _Danny searched for the right words before he answered,

"My blood isn't exactly… It's hard to explain, but if anything were to happen that I lost too much blood, there's a vial in the medical kit labeled _Injection S10. _It's red like blood but kind of has a green tint to it? Just inject me with it and it will help a lot."

Naru nodded, a bit pleased, and quickly ordered everyone to head back to their beds. Danny let out a sigh of relief at his explanation, happy they accepted the far-fetched explanation. The injection actually contained part of his blood, but was mostly pure ectoplasm that would help regenerate his blood faster if he ever lost too much. Sam insisted that he took it with him because he had a string of bad luck. He ran a hand through his hair. _Blood condition… Yeah that's one of saying my blood is fused with ectoplasm… _


	60. A Case Like No Other Part V

**Author Note: Happy (early) Easter! I hope everyone is having a nice weekend/holiday. The good news is that, because I've been wanting one for a while, my parents took me to the pet store and I got a guinea pig. I love guinea pigs. It's still pretty young and tiny. I named him Thorin, King Under the Cage.  
~CWA**

* * *

**CHAPTER FIFTY-NINE: A CASE LIKE NO OTHER PART V**

* * *

**Day Two (Continued)**

Mai woke up in the middle of the night, not being able to sleep since her mind was so busy. She kept thinking about Danny and what he had said. _It's plain to see by now that he gets anxiety and panic attacks often, but partial seizures must at least be often enough for him to want to include the medication for it in the medical kit. But he acted like it was the first time that happened. From the way he explained it, it sounds like the ghost is behind it. Vesalius must have some special ability or something. But can ghosts do that? Or was it really just the panic attack evolving into something more?_

She rubbed her eyes tiredly as she got up from her bed with a yawn. _I wonder what time it is. _She looked briefly toward her sleeping friends. Naru and Lin slept with blank expressions and seemed stiff, but were snoring very softly. Monk was snoring loudly, but so was Yasuhara. John seemed to have fallen asleep beside them with a pillow over his head to block out the noise. Masako was sleeping curled into a small ball inside her sleeping bag and beside her, Ayako was fast asleep with her arms sprawled out. Finally, her eyes reached Danny.

Danny was sitting on his sleeping bag in a relaxed position with his legs crossed and hands on his knees. His breathing was calm and even as a warm and peaceful aura came off him in waves. As soon as the peaceful feeling reached her, she closed her eyes, soaking it in with a tired sigh before plopping back down on her sleeping. She quickly fell into a nightmarish sleep.

* * *

_When Mai opened her eyes, she was no longer in the safe room. Instead she was in a room she didn't recognize, but she got an odd sense of déjà vu as she felt cold straps on her wrists, waist and legs. A panic set in her as she began fighting against the restrains. Where am I? What is this? Why am I all tied up? She let out a small cry as she tried to get free. I'm on some type of operation table… The realization of where she was settled in her with horror. No… No…NO! NO!_

_Her eyes bristled with tears before the tears finally started to fall freely down her cheeks. Her heart beat rapidly in her chest as she glanced around for something, anything, that could help her get free. However, what she found instead made her freeze. Vesalius. The spirit was peering at her from a dark corner, but his dark red eyes were visible. Staring into them were like staring into a deep sea of blood. She found herself lost in his gaze and a rapid emotion of fear overwhelmed her._

_"Oh am I unsettling to you," the spirit spoke, his voice a ghostly echo, "I tend to have the effect on people. One look into my eyes sends you spiraling into uncontrollable fear… Ah fear, sure a great emotion, isn't it?"_

_The spirit emerged from the shadows, revealing their true form. What is this? It's…It's not like any other ghost we've faced. Vesalius lacked the typical wispy or white color of other ghosts. He looked like a normal human being, all the way from the solidity of his form, to the detail of his old fashioned clothes and the texture of his dark hair. The only thing that seemed out of place was the faint green/red glow around him and his red eyes. He turned the scalpel in his hands curiously,_

_"It causes so many chemicals in the brain to react, I'd love to see it for myself. Don't you worry, miss Nadia, I have plenty of things to do first before then…"_

_Her eyes widened in fear as he walked toward her. She desperately tried to get free, but her attempts were in vain. Her heart felt it was going to burst from her chest. She couldn't understand what he was saying, though it sounded similar to the language that Danny spoke, but she heard a familiar name. Nadia… That was one of the victims' names… But this feels so real… Her vision was getting blurry from the tears as she began to sob._

_"Shhh," Vesalius cooed, "Don't cry… It'll be over soon…"_

_He pressed the scalpel to her chest and slowly began to cut down, digging deep into her flesh. She screamed loudly._

_"NOOOO! DON'T!"_

* * *

Mai woke up screaming with tears streaming down her face. Her chest hurt and both her head and heart were pounding furiously. When she gathered her wits, she saw that everyone was gathered around her in concern and she was wrapped into Ayako's arm in a comforting embrace. She sniffled into Ayako's arms, shaking slightly in fear.

"Mai," Ayako spoke gently, "what happened?"

"Was it one of those dreams again," Monk asked cautiously, his tone soft and low.

Mai nodded slowly as her chest flared up in pain. She let out a small cry and brought her hand to an area just in the middle of her rib cage with a wince. Danny noticed the action and stepped forward.

"Mai, lift up your shirt up a bit," Danny spoke softly, "Please."

She bit her lip, but obeyed. She trusted him and everyone else in the room. Her shirt was raised to just below her breasts, revealing a good portion of her stomach. A thin bruise was starting to form surrounded by red irritated skin going straight down her middle. The sight caused Ayako and Masako to gasp slightly in horror. Danny's expression darkened as he went straight to the medical kit.

"Mai," Naru spoke calmly, but his eyes showed a bit of concern, "What happened in the dream?"

Danny returned to the group with a bit of supplies. He dabbed at the area with sanitary pads dibbed in peroxide to clean the area. Small drops of blood appeared on the pad, causing him to frown as he noticed that certain areas of the damage had small cuts. _And the bruise goes deep. I may need to bandage this. _

"Vesalius," Mai whimpered softly, "…He was about to vivisect me in the dream…. He called me Nadia… I… I've never been so afraid."

She continued to cry as Danny examined the wound. John, Monk, Lin and Yasuhara hovered over him to look over the damage as well. Naru stood close to Mai's side in a small, awkward attempt at comforting her.

"Perhaps it's best we leave," Naru finally spoke, "Already Danny's had a partial seizure and panic attack and now this… We need to draw a line where it becomes too much and this is it. Mai, do you think you can handle being on a plane by yourself? Or would you rather Yasuhara or one of us leave as well?"

"No," Mai argued, "I can do this!"

Danny scowled deeply as anger trembled through him. He touched a small part of Mai's bruise a bit roughly, causing her to cry out. He stopped instantly and gave her an apologetic expression,

"Sorry I just… I hate that he was able to do this to you even if it was a dream, a past experience… And the fact that he did it to people just makes me… Very pissed off to say the least…. If you want to stay, I won't protest because I know it's your decision and I know from past experiences with Sam that it's a lot safer if I know where you are. I'm not even sure that Vesalius is bound to this University."

"What do you mean," Ayako chimed, "And even if he's not, Japan should be safe for her."

Danny shook his head,

"Not necessarily. I've had experiences with this type of ghost before… Sam and I call them _Zone Ghosts._ They're spirits of people, yes, but they're different in the sense that they gain more ectoplasm…"

He chose his words carefully, not wanting to explain too much on the subject. But he couldn't withhold vital information when it could save their lives. He chose to focus on Mai's injury more as he spoke, rubbing different ointments and bandages on it. She winced, but didn't protest as she listened to Danny. The others gathered a bit closer, just as eager to hear about the strange ghosts.

"Explain," Lin and Naru stated in union.

"It's complicated," Danny admitted, "I'll explain more about it later, if the occasion arises, but basically, they are more dangerous, more powerful, and can't just be expelled to move on in their afterlife. They're more solid than other ghosts, but they can still possess people. They aren't bound by the same rules either, which is why I'm worried that he showed an interest in Mai that he'd follow her. But _the theory_ is that they are from a different dimension that is tied to ours. Commonly, this is referred to as _Limbo_ but Sam and I call it the _Ghost Zone _or simply _The Zone. _I've done a lot of research on it, most of it remains unpublished, but the basic is that it's a whole dimension made entirely of ectoplasm not bound to the laws of physics or any other laws of our world really. Ghosts created in that dimension are called _Zone Ghosts_. They are not that common, but they do happen and I do deal with them. They're actually the reason that I made the Specter Deflectors as well as some other inventions. The only way to get rid of them is to actually send them back to the Zone, which isn't easy…."

He took a deep breath after the explanation as they absorbed the shocking information. For the most part, it went against many of the things that they've always been taught. It didn't quite match up with anything that they knew. Ectoplasm itself was supposed to be a myth, just a speculation. For him suggesting that not only is there a whole dimension of it (which is a far-fetched theory itself), but that some ghosts actually form in it. And that this branch of ghosts are _different_. It was… hard to swallow and they shared equal looks of disbelief.

"Can you do it," Naru questioned, "Let's say that we believe you… Can you send them back to the Zone?"

"Yes… Yes I can…"


	61. A Case Like No Other Part VI

**Author Note: Happy Easter (to those that celebrate it)!  
~CWA**

* * *

**CHAPTER SIXTY: A CASE LIKE NO OTHER PART VI**

* * *

**Day Three**

Naru frowned as he thought over Danny's explanation of 'Zone ghosts'. The mere thought of something so far-fetched was hard to swallow, but he hated to admit that, on some level, it was theoretically possible. He couldn't just dismiss the theory. It was interesting at least. He hummed slightly as he continued to make his way through the university with Lin, Yasuhara and Ayako. They had split into three groups (Naru and Lin in one group with Monk, Mai, Danny, and John in the other which left Ayako, Yashura and Masako to watch the base) to search the university for any signs of the ghost.

_It's curious,_ Naru thought, _everything about Danny seems to break apart everything I have ever learned. His abilities are different and I suspect he has more power than what he lets on. His chants are different and in languages that I haven't even thought about using in the spiritual field before. His very aura is different. He always gives off a sense of trusting and protection that's so strong and just adds to that charm of his; the guy could easily befriend anyone. And now he's telling us there's a whole other…'breed'… of ghost out there that's more like a monster than a ghost. But as much as I hate to admit it, Danny has never betrayed us, never directly mislead us, and he has my trust which is hard to earn. So I have to trust him on this as well. _

He glanced briefly toward Lin. The older man was hovering close by on the lookout. Since the two were alone, Naru could trust that their conversation would not be overheard.

"What do you believe," Naru stated simply.

"About Danny's theory or about Danny himself," Lin retorted calmly, but Naru simply nodded, "I believe that Danny is telling the truth. Or at least what he believes is the truth. As to if it's actually true, I am not sure. I'm inclined to believe him due to the fact that Danny has not lied to us… As for Danny himself, I believe that he is still hiding something, perhaps something major, perhaps not, but I know for sure that it relates to this case."

Naru nodded at Lin's explanation in agreement,

"Yes…His panic attack was strange and something tells me it's related to the one he had at a previous case. Something involving family seems to be the trigger, particularly when a family members hurts another. This leads me to believe that Daniel has had some sort of traumatizing experience with domestic abuse of some sort. I know it's connected to this case somehow as well, I can feel it. As to how, I'm still at a lost…"

"Perhaps it was something about Vesalius," Lin mused, "Maybe his appearance triggered a memory? Or something he was doing or had said?"

Naru mused as well as he thought it all over. It was unsettling and disturbing, but it needed to be talked about. It all left a bad taste in his mouth, but he had kept quiet for too long.

"Maybe," Naru admitted calmly, "But I still believe we won't actually know anything until Danny decides tell us the whole truth."

* * *

As Naru and Lin searched one section of the university, Danny and his group searched the other section. Everyone seemed tense as they looked around for any sign of Vesalius. Their discussion with Danny about how Vesalius would be more powerful was remembered clearly, causing them to even be more on guard. _Though it seems our section has the most dust,_ Danny thought bitterly as he started to cough violently. The others looked back at him in concern. Monk, who was the closest to Danny, patted him on the back.

"Are you alright there Danny?"

"Fine," Danny wheezed, "I just hate all this dust. For once, I'd like us to have a case somewhere new and modern. Like a Wal-mart."

He gave a small smirk, while the others laughed at his statement. Mai covered her mouth with her hand as she held back a snort. _Danny sure does have a way of making us all feel at ease._ Danny popped his back as he straightened back up before taking a small puff of his inhaler. He gave them all another reassuring smile,

"Guys, seriously, I'm not made of glass, I'll be fine."

_I hate when they look at me like that,_ Danny thought, _like they all pity me. _He was a half-ghost. He was a king of the dead. He was Danny Fenton. He was_ not_ someone to be pitied. His jaw clenched a bit as he continued on with the search with the others. He pushed his way to the front of the group gently,

"Come on, I think I can sense something this way."

He led them all through the dark hallway with a small frown on his face. He could feel Vesalius' presence, but it seemed to be coming from everywhere. It would be hard for him to track down the ghost. They walked in silence as they kept an eye out for the ghost, jumping every time there was a sudden noise.

Suddenly, Danny stopped, causing Mai to walk straight into Monk. He gave her a small smile and helped her back on her feet as they looked toward Danny questionably.

"Is something wrong," John asked hesitantly, "Can you sense him?"

"…Sort of," Danny admitted, "It's getting difficult to… He seems to be everywhere, but at the same time he's no where…"

_He could have duplicated himself,_ Danny mused, _it'll be hard to track down the original if that's true and with multiple Vesalius roaming the halls, who knows what he'll do? I just feel like we're walking into a trap. _He continued to muse deep in thought. The others shared looks of confusion, unsure about what Danny meant.

"Umm Danny," Mai spoke up, "How can someone be everywhere and nowhere? That doesn't make any sense."

"She's right," Monk confessed, "I don't get it either."

John nodded in agreement with the others. It took a moment before Danny even looked at them.

"Huh," he muttered, "Sorry I was just thinking and-"

He didn't have a time to finish his sentence. He was cut off by a series of ghostly moans and screams that echoed throughout the hall as their flashlights flickered. The screams, however, were even louder to Danny and seemed to overcome all his other senses, but he could see the vague form of Vesalius in the corner. He avoided eye contact with the spirit as he tried to regain his senses.

Mai let out a small yelp of fear and stood close to Danny and Monk. Monk put his arm across Mai's shoulders in a protective manner as he glared dangerously around the room in search for the ghost. John stood closer to the group as well as he looked around for any signs of the spirits. Danny's eyes were still on Vesalius' feet, but even as he looked at the ghost, he knew that the spirit had duplicated. There was no telling how many more Vesalius' were around the university.

_"I believe that we should get some alone time,"_ Vesalius' voice rang out above the screams in Esperanto, though there was still a static noise underlining it.

Danny recognized the Esperanto instantly and his jaw clenched at what Vesalius had flashlights continued to flicker as Danny glared heavily at the spectra, but he was unable to focus due to the overwhelming screams.

The lights went out completely, leaving them all in complete darkness. When they came back on, the screams were gone…. And Danny found himself alone with Vesalius.


	62. A Case Like No Other Part VII

**Author Note:**

**Reply to reviews**

**ViceVersa- **Vesalius isn't Vlad and Plasmius combined, but that's certainly an interesting idea! In this story, Vesalius is an OC ghost based off a real person, as I explained in a previous Author Note, Vesalius was a real person in the 1500s who taught at the University in Italy briefly and conducted experiments on human corpses in front of people to explain biology- he was the one to disprove what people previously thought of the human body.

**As for everyone else, thank you so much for the reviews, they really make my day!  
~CWA**

* * *

**CHAPTER SIXTY-ONE: A CASE LIKE NO OTHER PART VII**

* * *

**Day Three (Continued)**

Just a moment ago, Mai was in the hallway with everyone. Now, she was in a different hallway with only her flashlight to guide her as she wandered around alone. Her heart pounded in her chest and fear gripped at all of her senses. _How did I get all the way over here? Where is everyone? How am I going to find them? _She held the flashlight with one hand and the other hand touched the Specter Deflector around her hips protectively, thankful that at least she had that. _Wait a second! My phone!_ She scrambled to get her phone out of her pocket, but frowned when she saw that the battery was dead- just like her hopes of contacting anyone.

She looked around cautiously. The only light was her own and the darkness seemed to prowl around her as if it was waiting to attack. _I guess I just have to keep walking around and hopefully find someone. Maybe if I go back to base I can find everyone. I hope they're alright._ She gulped thickly as her hands started to shake; the shadows themselves seemed to move. _But it sure is creepy here…_

There was a noise from behind her. Mai shakily turned. Two dark figures lingered in the shadows, watching her. She screamed at the sight and dropped the flashlight in shock.

* * *

_I need to retire,_ Monk thought dryly as he found himself in a different hallway. He was almost too old for situations like these; despite being in his mid-twenties, he felt like he was already in his fifties. It was a miracle the gray hairs hadn't come in yet.

As soon as the lights had went out, it felt like he walked through some sort of portal. The air had seemed temporarily thick and almost like water. When he opened his eyes, he was in a different hallway. He wandered around, holding his flashlight steady, determined to find his way to the base. He was sure that if he got there, then he'd find the others. He had tried to use his phone, walkie and other communication devices but he only got static.

_It's so weird,_ Monk thought as he continued down the hall. _It's like there some sort of electromagnetic force that's interfering with everything. I've had things like happen before on some old solo cases… Still, it's pretty strange… _ He jumped slightly when he heard a noise from behind him, causing him to turn abruptly,

"Who's there," he called out threateningly, "Show yourself!"

"It's just me!"

John emerged from a dark corner and stepped into Monk's light with his hands up defensively. Monk sighed in relief at seeing a familiar face. John seemed thrilled to have found someone too as he gave Monk a small appreciative smile.

"Finally," John sighed in relief, "I've been looking everywhere for someone. I still haven't found Mai or Danny yet."

"They may already be at the base," Monk mused slightly, "At least I hope so…"

He trailed off slightly with a small frown. He hated thinking that it was possible that Mai and Danny were lost somewhere in the university. The only thing that brought him a little comfort was knowing that Mai had the Specter Deflector and that Danny was too strong to be taken down easily. Still, there was a number of things that could possibly happen to either one of them that brought him a bit of worry.

John placed his hand on Monk's shoulder,

"Don't worry. I'm sure you're right. They're probably waiting at the base for us…"

Monk nodded in agreement, but something in his gut told him that something was still amiss. _I just hope I'm wrong…_ Shaking his head, him and John continued through the dark hallway.

"Do you even know which way we're going," John questioned as Monk took the lead, "All these halls look the same to me…"

"Of course I know the way," Monk huffed, though he silently admitted that he was just a bit lost.

He didn't have time to dwell on it as there was the shadows seemed to close on them, nipping at them, only to be stopped as the Specter Deflectors glowed with a bit of a buzz. Monk tensed slightly, but was slightly relived that the Specter Deflectors did keep the ghosts from touching him or John. He raised his hands, ready to begin the chant to dispel the spirits, but there was a loud scream that echoed through the university that caused the spirits to disappear.

"That sounded like Mai," Monk cried, "Come on, let's go!"

* * *

Mai watched in horror at the two dark figures that lingered in the shadows. Yet as her flashlight rolled across the floor, it's light shined on them properly as they stepped out of the shadows. Naru and Lin revealed themselves, calm as ever, causing Mai to scowl. _Are you kidding me? They couldn't have warned me or something so that I knew it was them? _

_What is she doing,_ Naru thought, _it's dangerous to be out here by herself. She should know better than to split off from the group. She could have gotten herself hurt… Or worse. _The mere thought of something even worse happening to Mai caused his jaw to clench. Struggling to get control of both his anger and concern, he stepped forward.

"Where is everyone else," Naru demanded, "You were told to never split off on your own!"

A bit of concern laced his voice as he looked her over briefly for any injuries. Mai's horror was quickly replaced with a bit of annoyance and anger as she huffed.

"It's not I did it on purpose," Mai snapped, "The lights went out and the next thing I knew, I was somewhere else!"

Naru narrowed his eyes slightly as he thought over her words, before he could comment on it, Monk and John came running from around the corner.

"Mai," Monk cried as he ran over toward the smaller girl, "Are you okay? We heard you scream!"

Mai squirmed as Monk hugged her tightly in concern. He looked her over for any injuries closely before finally deeming her healthy and fit. Mai waved him off,

"I'm fine. Naru and Lin just startled me is all."

Monk nodded as he took in her words before turning toward Naru and Lin briefly, just to double-check that they were indeed there and didn't disappear. John looked around, eying the shadows cautiously, prepared for them to fight. They appeared to be still as ever, but if he squinted, he could see part of the darkness rippling as if it were moving. Lin noticed as well as he glared at the shadows, prepared to call upon his _shiki_ for help if things escalated.

"What happened," Naru demanded again, briskly though he eyed the shadows cautiously when he noticed them move.

"We're not sure," John answered, "We were in one of the rooms and the lights started to flicker. There was a lot of screaming; I couldn't even hear above the screams of the spirits. When the lights went out, I was in a different hallway… We all were, I think. When I went back to the room we began in, but everyone was gone."

"Danny's still missing then," Mai chimed with concern.

Her voice shook slightly; she didn't want anything bad to happen to Danny. Monk and John shared mildly concerned looks for a brief moment. Naru thought for a moment. Danny was the strongest of them. He shook his head slightly,

"Danny's likely to be back at the base by now waiting for us. We should head there now and on our way there, I want you all to tell me _exactly_ what it was that you felt. People don't just _appear_ in different locations…."


	63. A Case Like No Other Part VIII

**Author Note: Please review!  
~CWA**

* * *

**CHAPTER SIXTY-TWO: A CASE LIKE NO OTHER PART VIII**

* * *

**Day Three (Continued)**

Danny blinked a bit in confusion as he found himself in a different area; one that he was almost _sure _wasn't on the blueprint or map of the university. The whole room had felt odd, but at least with the screaming gone he could concentrate. He tried to remembered exactly what had happened that brought him to the strange, overly large medical-looking room; he couldn't focus on the room itself for too long for fear of going into another panic attack.

_The lights flickered. There was screaming,_ Danny recalled the memory easily, as he still kept alert for any sign of Vesalius, _I was so overwhelmed by the screaming that I couldn't focus on much… But I sensed ecotplasm being used… and the walls and floors almost seemed to shift like a portal… _His mind went into overdrive. All the dots were there; he just had to connect them. He recalled the sensations, the feelings, everything.

_It wasn't a portal though… Not in the exact sense… Everything had rippled… It's like the university itself is a portal._ The gears clicked in his mind as his eyes widened. _That's it! A portal… There had to have been a natural portal here that let Vesalius in and it's possible that the ectoplasm just seeped into the university itself and because of Vesalius' connection to it, it must have turned into some sort of ghost lair in the human world. But if this is Vesalius' lair then it would respond to Vesalius' commands and has some level of self-awareness like other lairs…_

His heart pounded in his chest as he looked around the room. If his theory was right, which he had a sinking feeling that it was, then they were in the lion's den, so to speak. He looked around cautiously, on high alert. Going into another ghost's lair was dangerous, but to go to one in the human world was down right suicidal. A ghost's lair was where that ghost would be the most powerful and they would have the home advantage. Yet, one in the human world, theoretically, would allow Vesalius to control if Danny would be able to, for example, fade through one of its walls. That would put Danny at a slight disadvantage, even more so if Vesalius had control of the things _inside_ his lair.

Danny tensed slightly as his hands lit up with ectoblasts. As he looked around the room, it dawned on him that there were no doors. Though he wasn't sure what disturbed him most, that he was trapped or that it was the same room where the pictures of the victims were taken.

The operation table was sitting in the corner with an odd clean shine to it. Buckets lined nearby with a table full of different surgical tools, or weapons as Danny called them. He could barely even bring himself to continue to look around; the operation area resembled his own lab experiences that it made him sick. _Don't think about, don't think about it,_ Danny chanted as he took deep calming breaths, the ectoblast in his hand flickered slightly, _Think about happy things. Sam. Sam's smile. Ellie. Ellie's laugh. Sam's ring. Sam's tattoo. Spending time with the girls. _

It worked. His breathing evened out as the ecotblast burned a bit brighter. His eyes started to glow an inhuman green as he looked around the room for any sign of Vesalius.

_"Might as well come out,"_ Danny spoke in Esperanto so the Italian ghost would understand him, _"The sooner we get this over with, the sooner I can see my fiancée again."_

Vesalius stepped through the shadows and Danny avoided eye contact, well aware of what happened last time that he did. Vesalius purred slightly to himself,

_"Hmmm interesting… I must say, when you came here into my lair, I was most surprised. The Ghost King in my lair of all places! And a half ghost one at that! Ohhh… This will be interesting."_

Danny tensed slightly as Vesalius spoke, his jaw clenching.

_"If you know that I'm the Ghost King then surely you'd know that I'm the most powerful ghost for a reason?"_

Danny felt a strange sensation go through him; his power felt like it was slowly draining and going into the lair itself. He was starting to feel a bit groggy, but was able to stay standing, determined to fight.

_"Of course! That's why I'm so excited to do this!"_

Vesalius let out a soft small whistle and the floor and ceiling warped around him, closing in on him. Danny shot an ectoblast toward Vesalius, followed by a few more as the space got smaller and smaller before he heard Vesalius let out a curse. Everything returned to its normal size, causing Danny to let out a small sigh of relief. _Let's get this over with,_ Danny thought with determination. He spotted Vesalius, who had a small burn on his shoulder, and aimed a large powerful ectoblast. Seeing the blast head in his direction, Vesalius disappeared and reappeared behind Danny.

Danny turned quickly, his eyes glowing dangerously, but Vesalius kicked up the dirt, which was mixed with moss and bacteria, into Danny's face. Danny didn't have time to phase through it as he breathed it in. Almost instantly, he was set into a coughing fit that caused him to hunch over as he hacked. Vesalius lingered around him.

_"I know your weakness, Daniel… Pity that your lungs aren't in good shape. They would have made excellent trophies…"_

He gave a grin as Danny continued to cough. He reached for his inhaler, a bit thankful that Vesalius had yet to attack him while he was done, but he reached nothing. _My inhaler… I must have dropped it… I can't breathe… I can't…_ Panic fogged his mind as his chest started to constrict. Vesalius held up the familiar inhaler with a taunting expression,

_"My, my… Looking for this, are we? I expected a bit for a fight from you, but you are in my lair after all… And I am draining your energy as we speak… And well, you are starting to slowly loose consciousness… Let me just inject you my special little serum that will keep you docile and we can get started."_

Vesalius held an injection in his hand, pushing it slightly to cause a bit of green liquid to squirt out from the tip of the needle. Danny could feel the lair draining him of his energy, making him too weak to fight as Vesalius stuck the needle in his arm and injected him with some strange serum.

_"I can't wait to tear you open…"_

Danny was slowly Danny was barely able to keep himself awake as his face started to turn colors. His lungs were burning for air that wasn't coming.

"_Sorry… Someone else already beat you to it…"_


	64. A Case Like No Other Part IX

**Author Note: I have a job interview later today, so wish me luck! Please review!  
~CWA**

* * *

**CHAPTER SIXTY-THREE: A CASE LIKE NO OTHER PART IX**

* * *

**Day Three (Continued)**

Inside the one safe room, Ayako, Masako and Yasuhara were looking at the screens with mixtures of horror and worry. The monitors, which showed the feed from the various cameras set up in the university, had all gone black. It left them in the dark about what was happening with their teammates; it didn't help that no matter how much they tried to contact them, it wasn't working. If they listened closely, they could hear the screams and moans of the dead from the other rooms.

"We really should go look for them," Yasuhara stressed, "We don't know what could have happened."

"Exactly," Ayako snapped, taking charge of the situation, "We don't know. We go out there and search blindly, we can come face to face to any number of things… And for all we know, this could possibly be a technical malfunction."

Yasuhara plopped down on a nearby chair with a small frown on his face. His normal joking, teasing demeanor vanished to replaced with a more serious outlook. There were no time for jokes of any kind. _They should have been back by now. It's getting late. What if something happened? What if one of them got caught? What if…_ He rubbed his temples in frustration. He wanted to go after them. Find them, hopefully, yet he knew that Ayako had a point. He couldn't just run out there blindly.

Thankfully, they didn't have to worry much longer as the door slammed open. Most of their teammates walked in- Naru, Lin, Mai, Monk and John were the ones to enter. Ayako, Masako and Yasuhara were quick to greet them with sighs of relief.

"Oh thank goodness," Ayako sighed deeply, "You're all okay! Where have you been? What happened?"

Masako looked toward her teammates and she furrowed her brows. They all had frustrated, slightly concerned expressions on their faces as they exchanged looks. Yet what she noticed most was the lack of one vital member.

"What's wrong," Masako spoke up, her voice soft, "Where's Danny?"

"He's not here," Monk grinded his teeth in frustration, "Damn it! We were hoping he was here!"

"You mean you lost him," Ayako rose her voice, "How can you just loose him!?"

Monk tensed and stood up a bit straighter as he clenched his jaw. Mai looked between the two of them with concern before getting between them so a fight wouldn't ensue. Her eyes were slightly teary as she thought about Danny being lost in the university, but she managed to keep her voice calm.

"Guys! There's no time for fighting! Ayako, everyone got separated, it's not his fault."

Ayako scowled and crossed her arms, unpleased, though her eyes were still glistening with worry and concern. Masako bit her lip slightly, prepared to speak out that maybe she could find Danny with her skills. Yet she knew that the University was so big that even with the help of clairvoyance, it was unlikely that they would find him before something bad happened. It was something that Naru knew as well as he clenched his jaw in frustration, knowing that his skills wouldn't be of much help in the university.

"We need to move as one group. Together we will all search the university. As such a big group, it's unlikely that we will get separated."

* * *

Like Naru planned, they all wandered around the University with only Yasuhara and Ayako staying behind at the base in case Danny did manage to return before they got back. Mai, as well as the others, desperately hoped that it would be the case. That they would explore and find no signs of Danny only for him to magically appear in the base when they got back.

Mai gulped thickly as they continued through the halls. The air was heavy and thick as the darkness seemed to claw at them, taunting them. Mai stuck close to Monk as the Specter Deflector buzzed with electricity and the others' belts crackled as well. The spirit, or whatever force was nearby, was close enough that it was trying to touch them. It was trying to effect them. It was trying to _hurt_ them.

As the belts crackled and hissed, warding off the spirits and ectoforces, they all went tense and prepared for the worse. They didn't have to wait for long before very halls seemed to warp around them, causing them to shout out defenses and a few curses in Monk's case.

_This isn't possible,_ Naru's heart pounded despite his calm expression, _This is… This is going against physics. How can this even be happening?_ His brain went into a whirlwind as he desperately tried to figure out what was going on as everything around him changed and shifted, making him uneven. Lin stood by his side protectively, his arm around Naru to keep him up. _Drugs,_ Naru thought, _possibly we were drugged? But by whom or by what? Perhaps this is all an illusion? Illusion. Yes. That makes sense. Danny did say that these strange ghosts, Zone ghosts, have more abilities. If… If there are such thing as Zone ghosts, perhaps this one is making a mass illusion? But this feels too real. I can feel the floor moving, the walls caving in, warping… It's just too real. But how is it possible?_ His head started to pound as he stumbled, causing Lin to tighten his grasp on Naru's arm.

Lin's shrill whistle to call for his _shiki_ worked, only for his own spirits to get caught him in the mess. The white glares of the spirits moved around aimlessly in confusion before they disappeared, causing Lin to let out a string of curses in his native language as well as English and then Japanese. _This is…Not good,_ Lin thought in distress.

Monk and John both started to recite different exorcisms as Mai did the nine cuts like Monk had taught her. Even Masako and Naru were trying to the best of their abilities to get the shadows and the warping to stop. Their voices rose together in a frenzy, panic gripping their senses when it did nothing. Everything was turning and twisting, causing many of them stumble as the ground warped beneath them.

Mai to lose her balance, tumbling down with a scream as the floor warped into a large hole.

"MAI!"

Everyone's voice spoke her name in union from sheer shock, concern and a small amount of fear. Naru was the first to act. He ripped out of Lin's grasp and ran across the warping floors toward her. He grabbed her arm and held onto her tightly as the ground around them continued to warp. Mai dangled into a seemingly endless void, her eyes bristled with tears as she looked up at him.

"Naru," she gasped as her heart pounded in her chest, fear gripping her senses.

"Hold on," Naru ordered, briskly, though his normal calm voice cracked slightly, "Just hang on!"

He wanted to use his own abilities, yet he couldn't concentrate. He couldn't… Fear started to grip at him as he tightened his grip on her arm. Half of his own body was down in the hole as he tried to pull themselves up. Thankfully Monk and Lin both gripped at Naru as John tried to keep everything back, though it didn't do much. With their combined strength, they brought both Naru and Mai back on the almost solid ground.

Tears rolled down Mai's cheeks as her chest felt tight. Her face flushed as she tried to get a grip. Naru's held her close in a comforting manner; his arms wrapped around her tightly, before he looked down at her with something gleaming in his eyes. _She almost died. I could have lost her._

Without a word, he bent down and kissed her gently. Everything around them didn't seem to matter but each other. He could taste the saltiness of her tears that had touched her lips. He could feel her heart beating rapidly and the flush of her face against his… And he loved it. Mai closed her eyes and relaxed into the kiss almost instantly. _Is this really happening? Am I dreaming? Am I… kissing Naru? Do… Do I even like it?_ She did. She liked it more than she liked to admit, but her blush deepened when she realized that not only where they still in a dangerous situation, but they were being watched.

Monk to let out a whoop, knowing he won the bet with Danny. Masako scowled as she saw the scene, envy creeping in her chest as tears threatened to fall as her heart seemed to shatter within her. _No._ She took a deep breath and tried to focus on the problem at hand. _It doesn't matter._ A part of her always knew that, eventually, Naru would choose Mai over her…. It didn't help with how much it hurt.

"Is this really the time," John yelled desperately, "I'm happy for you too, but really?!"

Even though Lin was happy for his charge, knowing that Naru rarely expressed his feelings, he had to break it up. The shadows were getting closer and the hole seemed to be getting bigger, threatening to take them all.

"Get back to the base," Lin shouted, "Now!"


	65. A Case Like No Other Part X

**Author Note: I did end up getting the job! I'm very excited, especially since it's a job at a grooming saloon- I'm the one washing, drying and clipping nails and it's actually pretty good money per hour! Because I am in such a great mood, I'm updating this fic twice today! Hope you enjoy!**

**~CWA**

* * *

**CHAPTER SIXTY-FOUR: A CASE LIKE NO OTHER PART X **

* * *

**Day Three (continued)**

The base was the only place unaffected by the warping university. It was possibly the only good news given to them. Monk informed Yasuhara and Ayako what they missed, all the way from no signs of Danny to the warping walls and floors to Naru kissing Mai. It made Ayako grin as she paid Monk a couple yen for a now closed bet as Yasuhara huffed to himself, a bit unhappy at the news.

Naru had closed himself off as he started to rapidly write notes, both in English and Japanese. Mai watched him, a bit from a distance, as the others conversed about what happened in the halls. _What does this make us,_ Mai thought, _are we a couple? Are we… nothing? Was it just a heat of the moment thing? _She bit at her lip and finally took a deep breath. She stepped forward toward Naru with a determined expression.

"Naru," Mai spoke up, a bit quietly so the others wouldn't hear from the other side of the room.

Naru paused in his writing just long enough to look at her briefly. He raised an eyebrow, but otherwise showed no emotion,

"Yes, Mai? What do you need?"

Unlike normally, he spoke a bit more gently, more politely. For a brief moment, Mai was a bit shocked at the change in tone before she continued speaking.

"What are we? Are we a couple," she asked bluntly, a small blush dusting her cheeks.

Naru sighed deeply before he looked at her once more.

"Are you really that stupid Mai? Of course we're a couple. I don't go around kissing people with no reason."

Mai's face heated up at his answer, but he was already focused on his notes again. She bit at her lip as her heart began to pound again. _A couple… We're a couple._ She grinned to herself before walking away from Naru and toward the others. Monk raised an eyebrow as he saw the giddy expression on her face,

"Going well in paradise," he questioned in amusement as he ruffled her hair.

"Y-Yeah, I g-gues," Mai stuttered slightly as she swatted at his hands, "…But enough of that."

She took a deep breath and looked at everyone with a determined expression.

"We have to find out where Danny is."

At her statement, they all shared looks filled with sorrow. Lin gestured for Monk to speak as he took a step back, refusing to be the one to tell her. While she was speaking with Naru, they were discussing their trouble with Danny's disappearance. He was the most powerful of them, they all knew that. The fact that this room that he had warded was the only thing not affected was proof of his power. That combined with everything that they had seen from him- the strength, the speed, the balance, the PK, _everything_. If the spirit, this_ Zone Ghost,_ caught Danny then it was unlikely that anyone of them could take it down and they were faced with a grim, very real possibility.

Monk knelt down in front of Mai, placing his hand on her shoulder with a heartbroken expression as the others avoided watching the scene.

"We have to face the possibility," his voice almost cracked, "That Danny… may not have survived if he got caught."

The words hit Mai like a ten ton block as she reeled back away with him, shaking her head as she denied it.

"No! No, he can't… He can't die, Monk! He's _Danny!"_

She stressed his name with desperation. Danny was her big brother. Danny was their friend. He was family. He was strong. _He can't be dead,_ Mai's breathing hitched, _He can't be…_ As she panicked, Monk pulled her into a comforting hug as they all tried to hold back their tears and emotions. The absolute grief was almost overwhelming in the room until Naru finally spoke up.

He looked at them all with dark, hooded eyes,

"Danny is not dead. I can _feel_ it. We can't leave here until we find him, I refuse to abandon him here in the hands of that monster."

The group shared looks of uncertainty, except for Mai who seemed to trust Naru's words almost instantly. John was the first to step forward,

"Naru, you can't really believe he's still alive, can you?"

Monk's chest tightened slightly. Danny, like Mai, was like a sibling. The fact that he was possibly very much dead was almost too much for him as he sat down in a nearby chair. Ayako comforted him softly and they both spoke in hushed whispers as the others discussed Danny's current fate. Naru scowled slightly at John's words.

"I can," Naru said briskly, "And I will. Our real issue right now is trying to find a way to move around without getting caught up in some… dimensional rift."

_Dimensional rift._ It was the best explanation he had. It was possible the _Zone ghost_ had caused it, but he was almost certain that it was what they had experienced. Mai, however, furrowed her brows,

"Dimensional rift," she muttered, partly to herself in question.

The words were foreign on her tongue as she mused them over. She wasn't the only confused as Monk and Ayako paused in their conversation to look at Naru in confusion. Even Yasuhara appeared puzzled. At the lack of understanding peers, Naru sighed as he explained himself.

"A dimensional rift, in the simplest terms, goes along with the dimensional theory. Like Danny had stated, this _Zone_, in theory, is a different dimension. It's common sense to believe that the dimension and this one is closed connected, possibly even a flip side to our world. With that said, it's possible this… _Zone ghost_…. can cause rifts, or portals, that can disrupt the natural flow of these dimensions' connection. In short, if we go out there, physics as we know it won't exist and we're at the ghost's mercy."

His words hit them all hardly. It didn't take a genius to understand the gist of what he was saying. Mai nodded slowly,

"…So what you're saying is… We're stuck here?"

* * *

Danny's eyes opened weakly as he tried to get a sense of where he was. Everything was blurred and hard to make out, but he was sure that he was still in the room he had fought Vesalius in. He tugged weakly on his arms, finding himself tied to the operation table. Like the University itself, he wouldn't be able to phase through it. He was too weak to anyway. He looked at his arm to see that there was some sort of IV in his arm, pumping the strange green liquid into his system.

_No doubt that's what's keeping me weak and drowsy,_ Danny thought as his eyes started to droop. _But I have to stay awake… I can't… How could I have been so stupid? I underestimated him and this where it landed me. This serum of his will keep me out as long as it's pumping. Not that it matters anyway. His little 'lair' will drain me of any energy that I have unless…. Unless there is some way I could get more energy. If a Ghost Shield was put up, it will block out the lair and Vesalius himself. A Ghost Shield would allow me to reenergize without fear. It would help if I had something or someone to drain energy from… If I overpower myself on energy while in a Ghost Shield, I would have enough power that even if Vesalius tried draining me, it wouldn't help… But that's unlikely to happen._

He closed his eyes with a sigh. He couldn't bare to watch as Vesalius towered over him with the scalpel. The sharp object cut into his skin and he bit back a scream. Previous memories started to come back to him at once, but he fought them down._ No. No. I will not be consumed by the past. Not now. I have to stay awake. Aware. I have to wait for a chance to get free. I can do this…_

He tried to focus on anything else, though his mind kept going back to the SPR group and Sam. He hoped that they were okay. Sam was likely to be home, safe and sound. But what about the others? Were they safe? Or did Vesalius get to them? The thought of his teammates brought Mai and Naru to mind as he recalled his bet with Monk. He had sensed something earlier, a small energy wave, that had washed over him. He recognized that feeling as an oath taking place; he had sworn to Monk that if Mai and Naru ever got together, he had to trust the older gentleman. By the feel of it, Monk had won that bet.

_Which means if I ever get out of this mess and he questions me… I'll have to answer him… Honestly and completely… Shit._


	66. The Gut's Never Wrong

**Author Note: Please review!  
~CWA**

* * *

**CHAPTER SIXTY-FIVE: THE GUT'S NEVER WRONG **

* * *

**Third Person**

Sam paced up and down the office of _Fenton Flames_ with a worried expression on her face. She wasn't sure if she wanted to kill Danny… Or if she had to_ save _him. After all, he had to be in some sort of trouble if he didn't call her for the past few days. _He always calls,_ Sam stressed, _why wouldn't he call this time? Especially after what happened last time? _She ran her fingers through her hair nervously, concern rising for her boyfriend/fiancé. Her gut told her that something was wrong and if she had learned anything, it was that her gut was never wrong. _Something is wrong and I need to do something. I can't just sit here._

She stared at the phone that was sitting on the desk. She picked up the phone and dialed his number. She tapped her foot impatiently as the phone rang on the other end. She had given him time to call her, just in case he had forgotten or was too busy to call. Yet now, she drew the line. It was now or never. He never answered. A bubble of concern started to boil again and she dialed another number- Monk's. Then Naru's. Then Mai's. Then even John's. No one was answering, causing her to slam the phone back down on the receiver with a frustrated expression.

Since no one was answering her, it gave her all the more reason to go with the plan that was forming in her mind. Ellie was at the daycare. All it would take was a call to the center to let them know to watch over Ellie for about a week or so. She picked up the phone once more and dialed the daycare. _It's best to do it for a week. I'm not sure how long it will take for me to save Danny's ass. _

_"Hello! This is Shinimo Daycare, how may I help you?"_

"Hello," Sam greeted, "This is Samantha Manson, calling for Ellie Fenton?"

"_Ah yes! Hello Miss Manson, what can I do for you?"_

"I was wondering if you can keep Ellie there for about a few more days? Possibly about a week? My fiancé is on a business trip and I have some… important business I need to get to."

Her voice trailed off as she glanced away with a thoughtful expression as thoughts about Danny clouded her mind. She was barely even able to register the fact that Miss Shinimo was still talking. Sam occasionally nodded with a small_ yes, of course,_ before finally, she was able to hang up on the daycare manager, knowing that Ellie would be perfectly safe. Yet now, she was faced with an important decision…

_What am I going to pack for Italy?_

* * *

Sam ran around frantically inside of the half-finished lab as she gathered things she supposed would be needed. A large duffle bag sat on the table, opened as she placed item after item inside of it. The gut feeling of something wrong was still there as it grew stronger. She was almost on the brink of panicking as she gathered more gadgets. The _boo_-merang, a few extra Specter Deflectors, a portable Ghost Shield, papers about the case that Danny was investigating, and an extreme first aid were only some of the things she packed. The first aid kit included everything a half ghost would need if injured from ectoplasm injections to ectolaced medication, equipment to stitch up injuries, and more. _So help me if I have to actually use this first aid kit… I swear if you are not dead, I will kill you myself._

As she double checked the first aid kit, to make sure that everything was there, she noticed there were a few things missing. There were a few different injections and vails, all labeled with different things. _Injection S9… Injection S11…_ She knew what each injection was capable of. There was one that would give Danny more power as it was almost pure ectoplasm (_Injection S9)_. There was an injection that acted like a blood bag for Halfas for blood transfusions (_Injection 11)._ She clicked her tongue in approval that those injections would be taken with her, but her eyes lingered on the empty spot where _Injection S10_ would be.

_Injection S10 _was a mix between _InjectionS9 _and _Injection S11._ It worked as both a blood transfusion and a power builder. Essentially, if it was injected into Danny's system, the injection would basically over power his heart and his core, accelerating his healing process. Loss of blood would be take care of before someone could blink. Wounds would heal almost instantly as it quickly would repair them. All while powering Danny up with so much ectoplasmic juice that it would be as if his _life battery_ was tripled. Considering it's effects, it was reasonable for her to assume Danny had taken it with him to Italy, especially considering what type of case it was.

_If he did that means that Injection S10 will be there and I need that in case something bad happened to Danny.  
_

* * *

Getting everything through airport security proved easier than she thought. The Ghost Shield around the ghostly artifacts hid not only them, but the other 'weapons' and technology that they wouldn't have allowed for her carryon. Thankfully, she was on the plane with the duffle bag as her carry on in little time. She relaxed into her plane seat with a sigh.

The worry for Danny was almost overwhelming, causing her to take deep slow breaths. Yet no matter what she did, she couldn't shake it off. The last time this had happened was when Danny went missing. She could still recall how much time she spent locked up in her room after the announcement that Danny was gone. She had the feeling that something was wrong. She could _feel_ the pain coursing through her as if she was connected to him. Yet she made the mistake of brushing it off and in the end, it could have been her fault that Danny didn't get out of _their_ clutches sooner.

And now that same feeling had returned. Her chest was scratchy and itchy with a bit of pain shooting through her. Her mind couldn't rationalize why she was feeling this, but her heart gave her the clear answer. She was connected to Danny. Whatever was making her feel this way, it was because somewhere in Italy, Danny was in pain.

_I have to get there. _Sam thought desperately. _I have to help him. _


	67. A Case Like No Other Part XI

**Author Note: Thank you all for the support of the new job (I really enjoy it) and for reviewing!  
~CWA**

* * *

**CHAPTER SIXTY-SIX: A CASE LIKE NO OTHER PART XI**

* * *

**Day Four**

The next day, the team woke up with heavy hearts and clouded minds. The realization that they were stuck there in the safe room had finally sunken into their minds as they all slept thinking about how they could possibly get out safely and hopefully with Danny. Naru and Lin conversed quietly to themselves in the corner about their predicament, going over various plans and ideas.

"It's possible we could use those blood blossoms to ward off Vesalius," Lin mused, but Naru shook his head.

"No. We don't have enough that could properly cover everyone and that still doesn't solve the issue of how the university seems to warp."

"Ah," Lin nodded, "The… dimensional rift, as you called it? Naru, do you really believe that's what we're dealing with?"

Naru scowled slightly as he thought it over. His brows furrowed in thought as he mused to himself briefly before he finally replied to Lin.

"I think that it has something to do with it, to some extent, but there's something else going on here. Or perhaps the dimensional rift is causing side effects? I just can't place my finger on it…."

Naru let out a small frustrated huff as he thought it over to himself, waving Lin off. _This is a very dangerous situation that we got ourselves in. _As much as he hated to admit it, he had no idea how to get everyone out safely. When no one spoke up with any ideas, Mai realized that no one had any ideas about what to do next, causing to sulk in the corner alone with her thoughts.

_But they're supposed to be professionals and so am I! Why can't we think of anything? There's got to be a way to do this. We can't just be stuck here… And what about the professor or whatever? Why hasn't he checked in? It just doesn't make any sense. _With a frustrated groan, Mai turned to Naru.

"What about Dioli and Dabria? Shouldn't one of them came here to check up on us? And what about our phones? Why aren't we getting a signal?"

Naru took Mai's concerns in stride as he looked at her calmly.

"It's possibly the interference with technology is from the spirit, or rather the _Zone Ghost,_ as Danny had called it. Dioli and Dabria are likely to be dead or missing if they came in after us or it's possible that they were still waiting for us to check in. Either way, it's clear we will not be getting outside help."

He was about to continue when there was a noise from outside the door. Monk and John stood up, prepared to fight as Ayako stepped protectively in front of Masako and Yasuhara while Naru and Lin both stood protectively in front of Mai. All of their eyes were focused don the door with a dark expression.

All the frustration from not being able to do anything or find Danny had settled in Monk as he let out a growl.

"That doesn't make sense. The wards are supposed to work and they've worked so far."

"Perhaps the spirit found a loophole," John chimed darkly, his eyes becoming hooded with emotions.

They didn't have to dwell on it much longer as the door swung open, causing them all to snap to attention in a fighting position. Before any of them could do any sort of spiritual attack, they noticed who it was that just came through the door.

The woman stood there cautiously, eying the salt before stepping over it carefully as to not break it. Her appearance was a bit dishelmed, but still relatively nice. Her face, on the other hand, didn't have the same appeal as her eyes were a bit sunken in with dark bags forming underneath them. Over her shoulder, she had a single large duffle bag that seemed to be containing so much that it may burst.

What Naru and the others, aside from Mai, noticed first was the large green dome-like energy around her. It was transparent, but rippled like waves around her as if it had some sort of protective ability… Like some sort of shield. Questions swarmed through their mind. Why was she here? What was she going to do? How did she get to the room if the university was so warped?

"Sam," Mai breathed in relief as she dashed around Naru.

Mai tackled the slightly older girl in a tight hug. Relief washed over her as she hugged Sam. Not only was she relived that it wasn't the ghost, but it was _Sam- strong, smart, confident Sam_. If anyone knew how to get them out, Mai was sure that Sam could. She did, after all, know a lot more about ghosts than any of them did. Sam let out a shaky laugh as she hugged Mai back hesitantly.

"Hey," Sam greeted, briefly, but her voice was clipped.

She looked toward the others, looking just as sorrowful as they did as darkness and loss swam in her dark eyes. She adjusted the strap of the duffle bag on her shoulder as Mai let her go. She adjusted it once more and reached in just enough to pull out a small black device. _This place was warded by Danny. I recognize his work anywhere. I, and the artifacts, are safe here. _Pressing a button on it, the shield lowered.

"So," Sam gave a small smirk, "I take it you all are stuck here, right? I mean, it was pretty hard to even find this room even with the shield…"

The others shared a look of understanding- the thing around her was a shield after all. It was Naru who stepped forward first with narrowed suspicious eyes as he eyed the device she held in her hand.

"How did you reach this room?"

Sam clicked her tongue slightly as she held the device up with a proud expression on her face.

"Fenton Ghost Shield. This whole place is just _oozing_ with ectoplasm, it's kind of ridiculous really, but dangerous. The shield blocks out anything ectoplasm related… Or traps anything inside of it that's ectoplasm related. Seeing as I had this baby on _before_ I got inside, nothing ectoplasm related could enter it, which means that the floors, walls and even the ceiling couldn't be effected by the ectoplasm. It's a bit complicated, but it's safe. It's meant to keep out ghosts."

She grinned slightly as she placed the device into the large duffle bag.

"Do you mean ghosts from the _Zone,"_ Naru asked sternly, crossing his arms over his chest.

Sam's eyes widened briefly, surprised that Naru, and by extension the others, knew about the Zone and its ghosts. Yet she suspected that Danny wouldn't have told them much. She relaxed slightly and smirked,

"Yeah…. I figure Danny told you about them? Speaking of… _Where's my fiancé?"_

She put a hand on her hip with a dark expression on her face. The glare she gave all of them felt like it could kill. Mai backed away slightly, paling a bit in fear of Sam as Yasuhara and Masako did the same. Even Monk, Ayako and John seemed unnerved as they shared uneasy glances. Naru and Lin shared a look as well as they thought about how they could break the news to Sam.

"Why are you here," Naru questioned, turning the subject back to her, which seemed to only fuel her annoyance.

"Because something's wrong," Sam said simply, "Danny wasn't calling me and I had this feeling that something was wrong and say what you will, but Danny and I share a bond. I _know_ something's happening to him and it's not good… So I'll ask again, _where is he?"_

Her voice turned low and dangerous at her question, her eyes narrowing as her glare worsened. Naru's attempt to change the subject had failed. Everyone in the room shared uneasy looks with each other, aside from Naru and Lin who looked calm as they went over the information given to them. Monk was the one to finally speak up as he stepped forward. He went as far as touching her shoulder in a comforting manner, causing her glare to falter slightly as she looked at the expression on his face. In a gentle, honest voice, Monk spoke.

"We don't know."

It was a simple sentence, barely even three words, yet it sent Sam spiraling as she digesting it. Her stomach twisted into a large stressful knot as she realized her fear had come true. Danny was most likely somewhere in the University being vivisected _again_ by apparently a ghost from the Zone. _But how,_ Sam thought, _how could this simple ghost take Danny down? Danny's the strongest, he's the King…_

She mused to herself slightly. _But there is ectoplasm everywhere in this place. It's like this ghost, whoever this dude is… I think Danny's notes said Vesalius worked here, so it's likely him… He's probably drawing energy from this place, or maybe it's some sort of lair in the real world? Which would explain why Danny would get caught since it's in Vesalius' ball court, so to say. As such, he's probably draining Danny of his energy… Not to mention Danny's asthma… So… _

Sam scowled slightly and stood up a bit straighter. Her expression turned firm and determined as she looked everyone over.

"Let's go find Danny."

She turned and started to head toward the door, expecting everyone to follow her. Yet they all stayed firmly in place as they shared uneasy glances between each other.

"Just how do you expect us to find him," Ayako finally spoke up, "This place is a maze. Even if that so called Ghost Shield prevents the area around us from warping…"

Sam turned on her heels and gave everyone a wolfish grin.

"I was hoping someone would ask."

Digging through the duffle bag, she removed a large boomerang-like device and held it up for all of them to see.

"We use this… Danny and I call it the _booo_-merang."

* * *

The SPR group along with Sam wandered through the halls of the university with tense, alert expressions on their faces as they prepared themselves for anything and everything. The Ghost Shield projected a large green dome around them, preventing the walls, floors and ceilings to warp around them like last time as they walked. Yet they were still cautious as they continued to follow Sam, who seemed to be following whichever direction the mechanic boomerang tugged on as she held it.

Sam's breathing had hallowed slightly as she adjusted the strap of the duffle bag with her free hand. Its weight was added onto by the few things of Danny's that she had put into it such as a few different ghost devices, more blood blossoms, the Fenton Thermos that Danny had packed deeply into his own bag, and most importantly, _Injection S10. _

"Just how is that thing leading us to Danny," Ayako chimed, eyeing the device with a critical eye.

"It's kind of a long story," Sam admitted, "But basically, it was originally meant to go after ghosts but there was a problem and well… Now it's hooked onto Danny's DNA. So now all it does is go to Danny. I just have to hold onto it tightly otherwise it would fly off and we would be too slow to follow it."

Sam gestured slightly as she spoke, waving the _boo o _-merang around slightly as it pulled her into the correction direction toward Danny. Monk eyed the device skeptically, but kept his mouth shut. He was a bit scared to question the authenticity of such a device in fear of Sam's glare. Naru and Mai stood close together as they walked, their shoulders and arms brushing against each other's, causing Mai to grin slightly to herself with a light blush on her face as she thought about their kiss. Yasuhara, however, was too curious about the name of the device to let it slide.

"So why is it called the _booo_-merang," Yasuhara questioned with a curious gleam in his eyes.

Sam grinned at the question, turning briefly to look over her shoulder at Yasuhara, her eyes gleaming in amusement.

"I see you guys never noticed, but Danny has a really bad pun problem…."

She gave a small chuckle at their shocked faces, but her amusement died off as the device stopped tugging in front one of the walls. It pulled her toward the wall more harshly than before. It could have been leading them toward another hall. Yet somehow, in Sam's gut, she knew that on the other side of the wall wouldn't be another hall, but Danny himself. She could feel it in her bones as a minor tingly sensation swept over her as she turned toward the others.

"I think the house warped to cover a door. After some… accidents… this thing is programmed to not go through windows, walls, vents or anything anymore. Just doors. So if it's pulling us through here… There has to be a hidden door…"

The group shared uneasy looks as multiple doubts clawed at their minds. Yet, there was still a spark of hope that swept through them as Mai stepped forward.

"Do you think… Do you think Danny's on the other side?"

"No," Sam tensed, "I _know_ he is. I can feel it. Come on."

She moved forward, causing the portable Ghost Shield to move with her. As the edges of the dome touched the wall, the warped reality is it returned to normal, rippling back into a normal door allowing Sam and the others to enter it. They creaked open the door, slowly and cautiously, the shield moving with them.

They were greeted to a room they recognized as the ones in the pictures of the victims. The thing, or rather the person, that stood out the most was the familiar form of Danny as he was strapped to an all too familiar operation table. His shirt, jacket and gloves were removed revealing all the multiple scars as well as the fresh clean cut that went down his chest in a _Y _shape, but it was stitched together loosely as if someone planned on reopening it. It was deep enough that the skin was peeling away, bleeding and gushing blood that seemed to be mixed with a strange green substance. An IV was stuck in his arm, attached to a strange bag that pumped him with a stranger liquid.

Yet as he spotted them, he still managed to give a small, weak grin at them.

"Just my luck to be vivisected twice," his voice croaked, "….By the way, you're late."


	68. A Case Like No Other Part XII

**Author Note: Please review!  
~CWA**

* * *

**CHAPTER SIXTY-SEVEN: A CASE LIKE NO OTHER PART XII**

* * *

**Day Four (Continued)**

Vesalius, it seemed, wasn't present in the room at the moment, which all of them were thankful for. Danny's condition was too dire for attention; they wouldn't have been able to deal withVesalius if he was there as well. Danny's physical state caused most of their hearts to tighten as they held back their emotions. Naru gripped Mai close to him as she muffled her cries of distress into his chest, tears bristling in her eyes. Monk's fist clenched tightly as he inwardly cursed himself for letting Danny of all people get hurt as John and Yasuhara both had similar reactions. John clutched his cross necklace tightly in frustration, taking deep calming breaths that caused both Masako and Ayako to do the same breathing exercise.

The tense silence was broken when Sam ran toward Danny with no regard for her own safety.

"DANNY!"

Tears bristled at her eyes as she took in his state, fighting back the anger that was threatening to rise as she threw her arms gently around him, giving him a small, passionate kiss that he was almost too weak to return. Her hands gently touched his face, running her thumbs over his cheeks as she rested her forehead against his,

"I'm so glad we found you… We'll get you out of here, I promise."

The intimate moment caused many of the others to look away briefly before they snapped into action. Naru and Lin instantly went over to remove the odd IV from Danny's arm as Monk and Sam undid the straps that tied him to the table. Mai was and Masako were still in shock, holding back tears as Ayako tried to shield them from the sight. Yasuhara and John kept a look out for Vesalius, but they glanced toward Danny ever once in a while.

"Where is he, Danny," Sam questioned as her grasp on Danny tightened.

"He…He left," Danny coughed out, sending bursts of pain through his chest, "Said he had to…check something… We don't have long."

The thought of Vesalius returning at any moment caused them a bit of panic/anger, yet they managed to keep as calm as they possible could for Danny's sake. Free from the IV and the table, Danny collapsed forward, landing in Sam and Monk's arms as they steadied him. Lin and Naru helped as well, their eyes hooded with dark emotions- mostly anger toward Vesalius. Though their suspicions and anger briefly went toward Danny and the strange green substance that was mixed in with his blood.

"We have to get him to a hospital," Naru barked, "Before his condition worsens. Who knows what was in that IV…."

"No hospitals," Danny panted, his breathing slightly labored, "I'm fine."

His statement caused Sam to gently thump him against the head for his idiocy as the others voiced their protests. Their voices mixed together in union about how he couldn't possible be serious and that a hospital was really what he needed at the moment. The only one who didn't speak up was Sam, whose eye twitched with mild annoyance as she lashed out.

"Will all of you be quiet?! Hospitals at the moment are not wanted nor are needed. I got this."

Danny stood up as straight as he could, leaning fully on Monk as Sam let him go to look through the duffle bag. Naru and Lin helped Monk steady Danny in a vertical position as he scratched absently a bit away from the stitches on his chest. Sam set the bag on the ground and knelt over it as she searched through it, doing her best to ignore everyone.

"You can't possibly be serious," Lin's eyes narrowed, "Do you see the condition he is in? He needs professional medical help."

"Not that this isn't fun," Danny took in a large labored breath from the pain, "But does anyone see a lung? I think I dropped mine."

"This is not that time or place for your jokes, Danny," Sam snapped as she continued to rummage through the duffle bag.

Danny gave her a mocked hurt expression,

"There's always a time for jokes… I'm hilarious."

"Danny," Monk scolded lightly, "You need to take it easy and we'll take you to the hospital."

Sam stood up from the bag, holding an injection labeled _S10_ and placed it over Danny's vein in his arm.

"I told you, he doesn't need a hospital. He needs this."

Danny gave a shaky nod,

"She's right…"

"No," John finally chimed in, "A small injection, despite whatever it may be, cannot help you in your current state. You need a blood transfusion and medical help."

Sam ignored John as she injected the medicine into Danny's vein and pushed the strange liquid into his system with a focused expression on her face. Danny took in deep, clean breaths as he felt the liquid surge through him,

"I told you I have a _blood condition._ _Injection S10_ is what I need and you're just going to have to trust me…"

The group let out equally distressed grumbles, silently cursing Danny's stubbornness as Sam finally pulled the now empty injection from his arm. Danny took in a few more deep breaths, feeling his lungs open completely with clean, unlabored breaths before he shook out of Monk, Naru and Lin's grasp to stand on his own. He stood up straight and closed his eyes, feeling the power surge through him.

The others watched in bewilderment and awe as the wound on Danny's chest began to mend itself as a white faint aura surrounded him. Mai didn't care that it should have been impossible. That Danny should be technically be dead from the wound. She didn't care that he was obviously not telling them everything. All she cared about was that Danny was miraculously healing. He was safe. He was going to _live._ Tears bristled in her eyes as everyone aside from Sam backed away from Danny, uncertainty gleaming in their eyes.

Naru stood a bit protectively in front of Mai, eying Danny's now fresh scar as the Spiritualist almost instantly became more energized and healed.

"Explain," he demanded sharply, his tone like knives.

Sam narrowed her eyes at the tone as she stood forward, fury blazed in her eyes. Noticing that she was prepared to rip Naru apart with words, Danny stepped forward and gestured Sam to stand down. Others voiced for an explanation, some more harshly than others, before Monk finally spoke up.

"Danny," Monk's voice was laced with a bit of betrayal, "What happened? How did you just… heal like that? I thought we were your friends, Danny. What are you keeping from us?"

The oath pulled at Danny slightly, wanting to explain then and there, but before Danny could give an answer, his ghost sense went off causing him to tense up as Vesalius appeared just outside the shield. He was completely visible, allowing all of them to see his corporal form. His dark red eyes stared at them, unblinking as he glared at the shield around them.

Naru and Lin tensed as they stood at attention, ready for action as their minds went into a whirlwind about possible defenses they could use; Lin doubted he could control his _shiki_ through the shield, which left that option out. They both moved to stand close in a protective manner by Mai, almost shielding her from Vesalius himself. Monk stood in a protective manner as well as he glared at the spirit with hooded eyes and John clasped the cross around his neck with a concerned expression on his face. Ayako and Masako both mentally went over all the possible chants and protection charms that they could use to defend themselves.

"Don't look into his eyes," Danny warned, causing several of them to look away instantly.

_"How unfortunate,"_ the ghost spoke in Esperanto, "_I was hoping to rip you open a few more times…"_

Danny tensed at his words, causing Sam to look at him in concern, putting her hand on his arm in reassurance.

"The Shield will keep him out," she spoke to everyone, "You don't have to worry."

"Good," Naru nodded briskly, "We have to get out of here before this situation gets any worse or the shield fails."

_"If the shield fails,"_ Vesalius hummed to himself as he spoke the foreign language, _"I will rip you all apart…"_

Danny's eyes narrowed at the spirit and the green glow that briefly passed over them didn't go unnoticed by everyone. All of them saw that temporarily green glow that always seemed to pass over Danny's eyes when he used his Spiritual abilities or expressed strong emotions. Before they passed it off as a trick of the light, but now new connections were being made as suspicions rose about what exactly Danny was possibly hiding. Was he even a Spiritualist? Did he do black magic/charms? Was he into some darker stuff that was giving him some extra juice?

_Is…Is Danny even… human? _Mai's breathing hitched as her heart raced, her mind trying to make sense of the situation. _He's stronger than he looks… His eyes glow green when he uses his spiritual stuff… He knows so much about these ghosts that… That it's hard to believe that he's not connected to them… He said that they are more powerful. Vesalius looks like he could pass for a human if not for the red eyes and the strangely colored skin… But Danny… Could Danny be…_ Her throat closed up at on her as her mouth grew dry. _He can't be, get that thought out of your head Mai! He breaths. He blinks. Ghosts don't do that…_ She tried desperately to calm herself as she glanced toward the others.

Naru and Lin were already making a move toward the door and the edge of the dome, the others following though Sam seem do so reluctantly as Danny stood in place. He didn't budge. He didn't even move a single muscle, his eyes focused on Vesalius.

"Fenton," Naru snapped, "We have to get out of here! And you're coming with us!"

His voice was harsh as he released the emotions he felt through his voice; it was the most emotion Mai had ever heard in his voice. Danny still didn't budge as Sam returned to his side, her eyes gleaming in concern as she gently put a hand on his shoulder, trying to coax him to move. He shook out of her grasp,

"No. I'm not leaving. If we leave, he's going to continue to do this."

His words hit them like a ton of bricks, causing them to tense and freeze as they looked at him. As much as they hated to admit it, he had a point. They were hired, or at least Danny was hired and he brought them along, for a reason. They couldn't just leave and let the ghost continue killing. Monk scowled. _But doesn't Danny know we need to leave to regroup, get our bearings, and more importantly, find out just what the hell is going on!?_

"Don't be stupid Danny," Sam urged.

"I'm not," Danny's eyes were still focused on the ghost, "The only reason he got the upper hand on me was because of my lungs and guess what the first thing on me that he 'fixed' was? He got rid of my major weakness so he can't use it against me anymore and now not only am I actually able to fight, but I'm supercharged…. Sam drop the shield for just three seconds so I can get out."

Naru's jaw clenched slightly at the words as they all wondered why the shield needed to be dropped. _It will be adding unnecessary danger, no matter how long it's dropped. A second, a minute, it gives the ghost a chance to hurt anyone… To hurt Mai…_ He stood a bit closer to the girl as his hand twitched, wanting to reach out toward her, especially seeing how frightened she looked. _Yet she's handling it well… Everyone is, really… But Danny… Danny is hiding too much from us. It's like he said, everyone has secrets, even him… But now it's time for those secrets to come to light. _

Sam reeled back a bit as she processed Danny's words.

"What?"

_"Drop the shield._ I can handle this… He's going down…."

Sam looked at Danny, questioning him for a brief moment before she let out a small sigh. She trusted him. Even if the others didn't trust him at the moment, she knew that Danny was not going to let anyone get hurt. It only took a second for her to reach into her bag and take out the portable Ghost Shield device and with one press of a button, the shield was down.

_1…2…3…_


	69. A Case Like No Other Part XIII

**Author Note: Sorry! I meant to update a lot earlier today but I was spending a lot of time with my girlfriend and then on the way home, I ended up getting hit by a car backing out (no one's hurt and my insurance covers it- it just really shook me up because this is the second time I've been in an accident except this time I was the one driving). Hope you enjoy and please review!  
~CWA**

* * *

**CHAPTER SIXTY-EIGHT: A CASE LIKE NO OTHER PART XIII**

* * *

**Day Four (Continued)**

The shield was only down for three seconds, but it was enough time for Danny to shoot forward with inhuman speed. As soon as he was just outside the range, Sam raised the shield again and gestured for everyone to gather close together so she could make the shield smaller. With it smaller, it gave Danny more room to fight the Ghost Zone ghost.

Danny wasted no time in shooting toward the ghost, his eyes narrowed dangerously as they glowed an eerie green. His hand clenched into a fist as he went to punch Vesalius,

charging his hand with a discrete ectoblast. It hit Vesalius hard in the stomach, causing him to get thrown backward a few feet with a curse. The mere sight of it caused the SPR group to tense as they tried to make sense of what they were seeing.

_His eyes are glowing. His fist is glowing. _Naru observed. _But how… It just… It doesn't many any sense!_ He let out a small noise of frustration, causing Mai and Lin to look at him in concern. Mai went as far as grabbing his arm gently to calm him down as she struggled to get a grip on her emotions. Monk had his hands clenched into fists at his sides as he grinded his teeth, trying to figure just what the hell was going. John had a similar reaction, his hand forming a tight fist across the cross on his necklace. Ayako stood protectively in front of Masako as Sam stood in front of everyone, holding her arms out to keep anyone from launching themselves forward toward Vesalius and Danny.

"Stay back," Sam barked, urging everyone to stay close to together, "Give them room!"

"What's going on, Sam," Mai questioned, her voice wavering, "What… Can Danny fight that…?"

Sam looked over her shoulder toward Mai, unconcerned about the fight between Danny and Vesalius, knowing full well that he could handle himself. She imagined that this whole situtation would be very confusing for the SPR group, but she couldn't help but chuckle at Mai's words.

"Trust me, Danny's fought a lot worse than this shit. I mean, yeah he caught Danny off guard and Vesalius got the upper hand at first but now…? Danny will get him…"

She trailed off slightly as she turned her attention back to the fight. Danny had that white aura glowing around him faintly, his eyes glowing a dangerous and eerie green as he dodged most of Vesalius' punches and blasts, only occasionally taking the offense. Danny was taking his time with Vesalius. He could obviously take the other ghost easily and quickly, but he was dragging it out. _Why?_ She caught a familiar gleam in Danny's glowing eyes. _That's calculating look. He's debating about something, but the real question is what…_ Sam mused to herself slightly. _There's really only three ways this can end. Danny can create a portal and force Vesalius threw, taking the ectoplasm that's sealed within the University with it, seal Vesalius in the Fenton Thermos I have in the duffle bag and hope that when he's gone this place isn't a hot bed… Or… Or he can end Vesalius and with his actual, permanent death, the ectoplasm in this place would be gone… _Her eyes widened a small fraction at that thought as she focused more on the fight, silently begging Danny to just seal Vesalius in the Fenton Thermos; if he did a portal, there would be more questions than there already are, but if he ended Vesalius, not only would it be bad to do so in front of the SPR group, but then he may stray into darker path…

"Just how is he fighting him," Naru demanded, "_How _can he even touch that spirit? _How_ can he fight it?"

Sam clicked her tongue slightly,

"Look, we can explain everything after Vesalius is dealt with-"

"-But how is he going to be dealt with," Monk finally put his two cents in, his voice shaking slightly, "How is Danny doing this?"

He looked toward Sam with a broken expression, absolutely crushed at all the things Danny was keeping from them, his voice alone showed how much it broke his heart that the guy he deemed a little brother was keeping such important secrets. Ayako, Yasuhara and John shared equally concerned looks as Masako still focused on the fight between Danny and Vesalius.

"What's important right now isn't the how of things," Sam snapped, "It's the fact that he's actually doing something!"

"But why keep this a secret," John chimed in, "Why hide this…. If I didn't know any better, I'd say Danny himself is a…ghost…"

The word _ghost_ was whispered softly as he barely even had the heart to say it. Though his words hit the group straight in the heart like daggers as they understood just how serious this whole situation was. Sam refused to answer at first, looking away as she bit at her lip before finally she spoke up.

"Look, Danny kept all of this a secret as long as he could for reasons. He wanted to keep you safe from ghosts like Vesalius, and believe it or not he's not the worst one out there, but not all ghosts from the Zone are alive. And he also… His past especially, which includes all this stuff, is a hard topic, but I can promise you that he is alive, he's just… different. He can… It's hard to explain and I promise we'll explain everything later, okay? But Danny is still Danny, he's still alive…"

_Barely, _Sam added mentally, _he's half alive… But he's still alive… _She repeated that last phrase in her mind a few times, reassuring herself that Danny was half ghost, but he was also half human. Her words, however, sent a wave of relief through the group as they all relaxed slightly. Their worst fear, that Danny was actually a ghost, was just that- an irrational fear. Yet still, Danny was hiding something big from them and they needed to know what it was.

Danny focused on his fight with Vesalius, dodging each attack easily as his mind went into overdrive as his eyes narrowed. He was thinking about ending Vesalius. He easily could. It would be like tearing apart a piece of paper and there was a voice in his mind that begged him to. After all Vesalius had done, to both him and the other victims, he deserved to be ended without mercy. Yet there was another part of him that didn't want him to end Vesalius. If he did, then he would be a killer- even if Vesalius was a ghost. _No. He needs a trial in the Ghost Zone with the Council and the Observants. Killing humans are extremely bad for them so I know it will be taken care of…_ Grinding his teeth, he made a decision as he jumped up at an inhuman speed and height to avoid a blast,

"Sam! Thermos!"

"Thermos," the others echoed, with furrowed brows.

"I don't think this is a time for soup," Yasuhara added, "Though soup does sound nice…"

Sam ignored the others as she dug through the duffle bag and pulled out the familiar thermos. With one ease throw, it flew through the air and the shield, allowing Danny to catch it with ease. He gave her a small nod as a thank you and turned toward Vesalius,

_"I think it's time I ended this fight,"_ Danny growled in Esperanto, _"Because frankly, I'm getting tired of just dragging this out. See ya in the Council's court, asshole."_

With that, Danny uncapped the lid and a bright green-blue light evolved Vesalius into the thermos. With the ghost trapped, Danny quickly capped the Thermos and turned toward the others with a sheepish expression. His eyes were still glowing and there was still a white aura around him as he scratched at the back of his neck at a lost for words.

"So….Airline food, huh? What's the deal with that?"


	70. Explanation For The Unexplained

**Thank you for all the reviews!**

**Guest Person: **Your review made me squeal so loud I scared my dog. Because you actually remember and like Gear. Also I laughed extremely hard because that is exactly what she would say to Danny if they had a reunion. Unluckily, she will not be in this fic though the epilogue will have a small reference to her.

**~CWA**

* * *

**CHAPTER SIXTY-NINE: EXPLANATIONS FOR THE UNEXPLAINED**

* * *

**Third Person**

All of them had to wait longer for Danny's explanation than they wanted to. First, they had to tie things up at the University. According to Danny, ectoplasm had seeped into it making it a paranormal hot spot that Vesalius was able to control, but with Vesalius gone, there shouldn't be any problem aside from possible minor ghosts showing up, but it was unlike that they would or even could cause anything beyond doors shutting and opening on their own. Afterwards, Danny insisted that they get back home before he explained and it was only after Monk pitched in that he would rather get the explanation back in Japan as well that the others agreed on going back to Japan first.

The flight home, Mai had found, was possibly the longest, most tense situation of her life. No one would talk to Danny or Sam or even look at them. It saddened her heart. She spent most of the flight just seating silently beside Naru, her head resting on his shoulder which seemed to calm both of them.

Everyone was glad when they did finally arrive in Japan and they wasted no time in heading straight toward _Fenton Flames_ for an explanation. John, Yasuhara, Masako and Ayako all took seats on one of the large couches while Mai and Naru shared one of the smaller couches. Lin stood beside Naru and Mai, his arms crossed with a thoughtful, slightly distrustful expression on his face. Monk stood behind the larger couch, resting his elbows on it as he leaned forward waiting for Danny to explain.

A silence fell upon the room as the tension in the air thickened. All of their minds were on overdrive as they tried to come up with answers, only to come up blank, ending up with more questions. _What is Danny going to tell us,_ Mai wondered a bit worriedly, _He's like family to us, so I don't think it will that bad, but what if it is? What if it's something that ruins all of relationships? What if it tears us apart?_ She couldn't stand the thought of it and choose instead to think about the positive. _No. Whatever Danny says, it can't possibly be that bad. _

Danny and Sam both stood in front of the group with uneasy expressions on their faces as they tried to come up with the best explanation. Should they tell the SPR group that they come from a different dimension? _No we can't do that. If we do that, that may be a bit too much information for them. We can tell them everything else though, _Danny mused as he looked down at his hand, clenching it slightly, _which means telling them I'm half ghost…_

He ran his fingers through his hair nervously as he tried to sort out his thoughts, trying to figure out the plan for telling them. His heart was pounding in his chest as he took deep breaths, the sensation of clean air filling up his lungs was something new to him, but he found he rather liked it.

"Ummm okay, where to begin," Danny scratched at his head, "I… Okay, my parents _were_ ghost hunters, very good ones. Except their stuff was… very hush-hush so most of their findings weren't revealed to anyone."

_Yeah, anyone outside our original home dimension,_ Danny mentally chimed and he didn't miss the look Sam gave him as if she was saying, _'really? That's the excuse you're going with.' _He winced slightly at her look and continued to scratch at his head and the back of his neck in a nervous manner before he finally found his words again.

"…Their findings included a lot of things, including a portal that could potentially lead them to the Ghost Zone."

He let those words sink for a moment, watching as their faces scrunched up in confusion and disbelief before he continued,

"And they've been working on it since college, actually, but when I was fourteen, they were finally able to make a large portal, dubbed the _Fenton Ghost Portal._ It was huge, able to fit an entire vehicle through it if needed. But when they turned it on, it didn't work…"

He bit at his lip slightly, musing over his own words as he tried to find the explanation needed. He glanced toward Sam briefly as she silently urged him to continue. Though her hand was clasped around his tightly for moral support. He knew if he couldn't tell the group then she would pick up wherever he left off. It was comforting. He glanced toward the SPR group, almost smirking when he saw Monk's look of clear disbelief.

"Of course it didn't work," Monk huffed, but he didn't get a chance to continue as Danny cut him off.

"-At first," Danny cut in, "_At first_ it didn't work. When they left, I was left alone in the lab, which was basically our basement that was built for building anti-ghost weaponry and gadgets. But… I was left alone in there with Sam and one of our best friends at that time, Tucker. We were young idiots who decided it would be cool to get a picture of me inside the portal, even if it was just a hunk of metal inside the wall. I changed inside a HAZMAT suit, a suit made to protect me from hazardous materials… Granted it really didn't work, but…"

Danny coughed slightly in an awkward manner as he struggled to find words.

"I went inside and I tripped. I hit a button that was on the inside and the next thing I knew…"

He took a deep breath and released Sam's hand to take off the single black glove he wore. He held up his palm to the group, showing the large lightning-like scar that covered his palm and hand.

"…I was blasted with thousands of volts of electricity. It really should have killed me, except it didn't because I was also shocked with a _lot_ of pure ectoplasm that went straight into my DNA. So just like how blood flows through my veins, ectoplasm does as well. The ectoplasm itself is actually bonded to half of my DNA, turning my hair white and my eyes this eerie green. It mutated me so that while I'm breathing and well, _alive,_ I can also do stuff like this…"

He trailed off slightly as he looked at the group, allowing his eyes to shine a deathly eerily green as he felt himself sink through the floor. He allowed himself to go all the way down to his waist before he lifted himself back up with ease. He could have chuckled at how shocked and surprised the SPR group seemed as they muttered to themselves in disbelief. It hurt, however, how much fear he saw in their eyes as well. It was hidden well, he'd admit that, but it was still there along with the look of betrayal.

"What you just saw is intangibility," Danny explained, "…And that's not all I can do. I can fly over two hundred miles an hour, turn invisible, fight Zone ghosts with ease using ectoblasts, which is essentially a bit like Qigong except it's with ectoplasm and it has different forms. There's a lot more I can do actually, but it's not that important. What's important is that that portal basically turned me… _half ghost, _for lack of a better term. The ghosts from the Zone call me a _halfa_ as a result…"

The information caused Mai and Masako's faces to pale as their hearts pounded in their chests. Ayako gripped at the edge of the couch with tight fists, digesting it with horror. Monk's jaw was almost down to the floor as he openly gaped at Danny, his heart pounded as he tried to get a hold on his emotions; was he supposed to be angry? Sad? Betrayed? Naru and Lin both had clenched jaws and narrowed eyes as they went over the information.

"That's impossible," Naru finally was able to speak, "You can't possibly be half-dead."

Danny crinkled his nose as Sam clicked her tongue in distaste. After a second, Danny finally spoke with a strange expression on his face,

"Can…Can you not call it that? Because I'm alive. I'm breathing. I'm not so much as _half dead,_ as my body just knows how to be both a human and a ghost."

He fumbled for words, stumbling over the explanation as he tried to delay his next confession. A silence settled through the air, no one was sure what to say or do next. Mai curled into Naru slightly with a frown on her face as she went over the information. _Danny's… He's a ghost… He actually is a ghost… But he's not a ghost. He's half ghost. He's alive… I don't get it… _She looked toward the others briefly, a bit relieved when she saw that she wasn't the only one who was confused at Danny's explanation.

Naru remained sturdy, however, as he just continued to glare at Danny.

"And what about your scars?"

He asked the question so bluntly without hesitation that it took a majority of the group off guard. Danny gulped thickly as he felt his heart pound wildly in his chest as Sam clasped his hands tightly in hers. Mai and Lin looked at Naru with a slightly scolding look, unable to believe he just asked such a question. Monk's jaw clenched as he tightened his fists slightly as Naru asked that question; he knew that all of them were curious about the scars, but to ask something so bluntly so rudely was uncalled for. Ayako had a similar thought through her mind as she huffed slightly in her seat, crossing her arms across her chest, but still giving Danny a curious look through the corner of her eyes.

Danny made a few noises as he tried to speak, his brows furrowing with concern and worry as he gripped Sam's hand so hard his knuckles began to turn white. He took a few deep breaths, absently scratching at his chest with his free hand.

"I…It's hard to explain… It's… My parents… Let's just say that they took ghost research before family. When I told them about what I could do, what I am…. I was only sixteen and they strapped me to the table…."


	71. To Regain Trust

**Author Note: The story will be coming to a close tomorrow, so prepare yourself! I had a lot of things planned for this story, if any of you remember that poll, but after thinking about it for a long time, I realized that a majority of those weren't needed and now that I have a job, I wouldn't have the time to do all of that.  
~CWA**

* * *

**CHAPTER SEVENTY: TO REGAIN TRUST**

* * *

**Third Person**

The next few days were filled with tension, awkward silences and pity-filled looks. Danny refused to explain anything more about his parents and no one pushed the subject. _I don't think anyone even wants an answer,_ Mai thought, _I don't think we'll be able to handle it… I still can't handle the thought that Danny's parents actually… They actually did that to him… They did that to their own son… It's terrible. Horrible. _She resisted the urge to shiver as she handed Naru his tea.

Currently, everyone was gathered in the SPR building, including Danny. It honestly surprised Mai that Danny was hanging out here as well. The tense silence had filled throughout the room as a few of them shared cautious looks and it didn't go unnoticed by Mai that no one was sitting beside Danny on the couch. Everyone was keeping at a distance. _It's just not fair,_ Mai frowned, _it's not his fault what happened to him! Why is everyone keeping at an arm's length!?_ She glanced toward the others. Monk was avoiding looking at Danny though every once in a while, he'd glance at Danny with something akin to pity. John didn't take his eyes off Danny, his eyes gleaming in sadness. Yasuhara avoided eye contact with everyone in the room while Ayako conversed quietly in hushed whispers with Masako. It was nothing like the family that Mai had come to know and love.

Danny could feel them looking at him every once in awhile, usually when they thought he wouldn't notice. It didn't take a genius to figure out that they were pitying him. The mere thought caused his fists to clench. _I knew this would happen. They don't really accept this. They don't really accept me. To them, I'm just… I'm just some freak. _He felt his hands start to tremble and shake as he thought about that. He shouldn't have expected them to accept him so easily. He grinded his teeth and stood up abruptly, gaining everyone's attention.

"If you don't mind, I have some things I need to do. See you all later."

Without another word, before Mai could even say goodbye, Danny left briskly and quickly with his hands clenched into fists as he fought down his negative thoughts. His cold shouldered exit caused a small shiver to run through Mai before she turned toward everyone in the room. With Danny gone, she could finally ask them the one question that had been bothering her.

"What's wrong with you guys?"

Her voice swept through the room clearly, causing some of them to shift with shamed looks on their faces. Naru simply raised an eyebrow at his girlfriend, and it had been established that they _were_ a couple, as he wondered just what she was talking about. Even Monk refused to look Mai in the eyes as he let out a sigh of shame.

"…We don't mean to do it," Monk finally said, "We don't mean to be so… cold to him…"

"But why are so you so cold to him," Mai pressed.

"You heard his explanations, Mai," John spoke up, "It's unsettling to think that Danny, of all people, is _a ghost."_

"He's half ghost," Yasuhara chimed in, "But that doesn't make it any less scarier."

Ayako clicked her tongue in agreement,

"Not to mention how he just _failed_ to mention it sooner."

Mai took in their responses with a small frown as she thought it over. For a brief moment, everything was quiet. Mai even glanced toward Masako, Naru and Lin waiting for them to chime something in, but they were silent as well. Finally, Mai spoke up again.

"Danny didn't ask to become half ghost. It's not his fault for what he is," she glanced briefly toward Lin as she remembered their conversation about her heritage, "It's no one's fault for simply being of a different race, or in his case, a different species…. Danny didn't tell us because he was uncomfortable with it, not because he didn't trust us. If he didn't trust us, I don't think he would have told us anything at all. Not to mention that if he didn't like us, he could have just abandoned us all those times he could have. Instead he used his powers to protect us and others. And what does his half ghost status matter anyway? Danny is _still_ Danny. He's _our_ Danny."

She took a deep breath before continuing, finally speaking her thoughts as her heart pounded in her chest,

"Not to mention the other thing he told us about, or have you all forgotten what he went through? What he went through is _terrible. _Because of being half ghost, his parents_ tortured him,_ _vivisected him,_ and… And we're just as bad for not comforting him and reassuring him that we're still here for him."

She spoke with such over powering confidence that they hardly ever ever saw in her. For a while, no one spoke as they became filled with so much guilt and shame about how they acted. What they were doing was wrong and they realized that now, but they weren't sure how else to react until now. Naru couldn't help the small smirk that twitched on his face at his girlfriend's words, silently proud of how she was standing up for her own thoughts and the rare glimpse of her true intelligence. He was the first to speak up calmly,

"…She's right."

* * *

When Sam finally returned home from another mall trip with Ellie, the first thing she noticed was that the door was unlocked, causing her to frown as she tightened her grasp around Ellie, _I know I locked the door when we left. _The sleeping little girl in her arms remained oblivious to Sam's dark expression as she gently and quietly opened the door as she mentally went over all the martial arts that she knew. If it was some idiot who was dumb enough to break in and rob their home, she was not going to go easy on them. Even with a child in her arms, she could still take down any dumb robber.

She entered the home quietly, glancing around cautiously through the darkness before her eyes fell on the couch. Even through the dark, she could recognize Danny as she let out a small sigh of relief and turned on the lights.

"You shouldn't be lurking in the shadows- it's creepy."

Her amusement faded as soon as the lights revealed Danny's expression. He was hunched over on the couch with heavy breaths and when he looked up at Sam briefly, she could see how pink his eyes were from crying and the tear stains on his face. He motioned for her to go toward Ellie's room and she got the hint. As soon as she had put Ellie into bed, she quickly returned to the living room and took a seat right next to Danny.

"Danny, what's wrong," she asked gently.

Danny took a deep slow breath, trying desperately to calm himself down as Sam grasped his hands in hers. With a heavy heart, he finally spoke up softly.

"I ruined it Sam. I finally had a nice life set up, for me, for you, for Ellie… And I ruined it. They don't trust me anymore, Sammy. They don't like me. They can't even look at me… I ruined everything."

_They… Oh they didn't. They can't do this to him. Not after everything he's been through. They just can't do this. _Sam's eyes blazed as she tightened her grasp on his hands. Her heart clenched slightly at how heartbroken Danny was as she spoke,

"You didn't do anything except protect those that you care about and if they can't understand that, well… Screw them."

Danny let out a dry, humorless chuckle at Sam's words. Her attempt at making him feel better was slowly working as he was finally able to give her a small, weak smile. As soon as he opened his mouth, Sam cut him off.

"-If you're about to say some sort of really inappropriate joke about our sex life because of that statement_, don't."_

Danny promptly closed his mouth with an amused gleam in his eyes; she knew him too well. He didn't get a chance to thank her for her words as there was a knock at the door. Sam and Danny shared a concerned look before Danny finally nodded at her, signaling that he was okay for company now. After giving him a small peck on the cheek with a reassuring smile, Sam stood up and answered the door.

Her eyes widened when she saw just who it was on the other side of the door. The SPR group stood there, most of them shifting their feet or avoiding eye contact with her. Naru and Lin stood at the front with Mai, their eyes a bit cold but Sam could still see just a bit of shame within them. Mai stood by Lin and Naru with tears in her eyes and before anyone could say anything, she made a run past Sam and straight for Danny causing the others to call out after her.

Sam was forced to step aside as everyone came running through. With a small smile, Sam watched as Mai hugged Danny tightly as she cried,

"Danny! Are you okay? I'm so sorry for how I acted, for how _all of us_ acted."

Danny's eyes widened as he found himself being hugged by everyone aside from Naru and Lin as they muttered and cried out apologies. It was as if almost instantly, things were back to how they were before. They were friends. Family. Their gesture caused a warm feeling to run through him as he managed to give a large smile and returned their hugs with a laugh,

"It's okay…."


	72. Epilogue

**Author Note:**

**'Tis the end of one of my favorite fics. I really enjoyed writing this and I hope you guys enjoyed reading it! I wanted to go ahead and post the epilogue today instead of waiting 'till tomorrow 'cause I know I'm going to be swamped tomorrow with studying (plus work). Thank you for all the reviews, follows and favorites!  
~CWA**

**(P.S. There are a few brief mentions of ghosts you may not recognize such as Styx, Lockjaw, Captain Perrow, Loa, and Bayou- this because they are some of my many ghost ocs that I just briefly slipped into the conversation- also there's a brief cameo/mention of Gear when Sam says that she still couldn't believe that Danny invited that 'purple-haired techno geek' to the wedding)**

* * *

**EPILOGUE**

* * *

**A Month Later**

Naru and Lin shared a look of disbelief as they entered _Fenton Flames_ with the rest of the group. Every one shared confused looks between one another. Every single one of them had received the same call from Danny- to come over to _Fenton Flames_ _ASAP._ It was by pure chance that they all arrived at about the same time and almost the second that they came toward the building, Danny had dragged them inside with a giddy expression on his face. Danny led them all, including a rather pleased looking Sam, toward a strange metal door that in the back of _Fenton Flames_ and out of the direct line of sight. It's outline was barely even noticeable against the wall and if someone squinted, it was difficult to see. If someone didn't know about it, it was unlikely that they would find it.

"I've been working on this for a while, so I present to you the new _Fenton Laboratory!_ Here for all of your ghost-fighting needs!"

Danny winked as he gestured toward the door like an over excited salesman, a large grin on his face. Mai and Masako covered their mouths with their hands as they let out a series of giggles at Danny's behavior while Yasuhara and John sighed, but both smiled in amusement. Monk and Ayako shared equally impressed looks as Lin and Naru eyed the door in caution. Danny had mentioned his 'lab' once or twice in passing, but rarely did he ever go into detail. The fact that he was now showing the lab itself to them, with such giddy excitement, caused a small uncharacteristic bubble of giddy to go through Naru as he found himself growing a bit excited at the thought of seeing the lab.

"Don't be so overdramatic, Danny," Sam huffed, "Just show them the lab."

"You got it Sammykins-"

"-I told you stop calling me that!"

She punched Danny a bit roughly in the shoulder, causing Danny to let out a booming laugh. As soon as Sam had finished her 'assault' on him, he faced the door. Opening a small panel on the wall, he typed in the password which opened the strange metallic door. It revealed a large metallic staircase that led to the ever-so-famous lab, though it was concealed by darkness that hid their view of the bottom of it.

"-It took me a little over a month to finally finish this baby," Danny stated proudly, "You can ask Sam how much of a mess it was before. It was nuts. Plus I finally got the Portal up and-"

"-So it really is a ghost lab," Monk cut in, "An actual _ghost lab?"_

Danny mused over Monk's words with a confused expression before shrugging,

"More or less. It's actually really just _my_ lab that I use for my inventions and everything. I've had it for a while, but it hasn't been officially completed until now… But I have to admit, calling it a _ghost lab_ sounds a lot cooler."

Danny chuckled slightly as he winked at the group, causing Sam to roll her eyes at his behavior with an amusing smirk on her lips. When no one laughed, aside from Mai and Masako's covered giggles, Danny let out an awkward cough as he scratched at the back of his neck before he finally spoke again. He started to descend down the staircase, making sure to flip a switch by the top of the staircase first that turned on the lights. He gestured toward everyone to follow him,

"Well, you want to see it, don't you? Then come on."

The group shared a look before they looked toward Sam. She shrugged at them briefly, stating how Danny loved to be dramatic, before she followed her fiancé down the stairs.

"It's no use just standing here," Naru huffed.

He was the first to follow Sam, causing the others to follow him almost instantly. Together, they made their way down the metal stairs toward Danny's laboratory. _This a pretty long staircase, I wonder how deep are we going under? I can see Sam walking ahead of us, but I can't even see Danny or the bottom of the stairs- he's probably already at the bottom waiting for us. _Mai looked along the walls by the stairs as she walked. Her fingers brushed against the cool metal walls with a fascinated expression. _It's all metal… It's amazing… Is the whole lab made from this? It's smooth… But all this metal must be here to protect something or shield the rest of the building from something… So if Danny works down here on his inventions, that wouldn't surprise me if he accidentally caused an explosion or something. Though he's most likely careful, I just hope that Ellie doesn't come down here…_

At the thought of Ellie, Mai momentarily paused, causing the others to stop in their tracks to keep from tripping over her.

"Where's Ellie," Mai spoke up toward Sam, "I didn't see her when we got here and you all rarely don't have her with you."

Sam gave a small laugh,

"Ellie's with Danny's old friend picking up some dresses for the wedding. The fact that Danny even invited that purple-haired techno geek to the wedding is still a bit surprising."

_The wedding, _Mai thought briefly before she gave a smile, _oh yeah. I forgot that Danny and Sam's wedding is only a couple of months away from now. Kind of funny how I forgot that considering Ayako, Masako and I are bridesmaids. I believe Sam even asked John to perform the ceremony since he's a Catholic priest… And I think Monk is actually Danny's best man if I remember correctly. _Mai gave a small fond smile as she continued to follow Sam and the others down the stairs. A small bubble of excitement swept through her at the thought of the wedding; everyone was very excited for it, though a bit less so when Danny had mentioned that there would be, without a doubt, a few ghosts from the Zone at the ceremony. He had reassured them multiple times that the ghosts were friends of his and that they wouldn't hurt anyone, but that still didn't keep them from being cautious.

It wasn't too long before they were all at the bottom of the stairs and officially inside the great _Fenton Laboratory._ Mai let out a small gasp and when she glanced toward the others, she noticed that she wasn't the only one who was amazed. It was a large room with metallic walls, floor and ceiling. Chairs were in the middle of the lab, though they looked out of place as they all faced a blank wall. Lights inside the ceiling lit up the various tables filled with electronic gadgets, including a few that Mai recognized like the Specter Deflectors. Most of the tables had blueprints on them along with unfinished projects. There was an area off to the side that was a large glass, though Mai suspected it was actually plastic or something similar from how thick it looked, door that revealed a large garden filled with the flowers that Mai knew to be blood blossoms. The indoor/underground garden was even completed with large sun lamps and sprinklers. Off to the other side was a large metallic door that was covered with black and yellow stripes in the shape of a triangle. Beside the strange door was a panel and large computers. If she had to take a guess, she would say that the strange door was the portal that Danny spoke of when they first showed up.

In the middle of the room stood Danny with a giddy expression on his face as he gestured around,

"Welcome," he announced loudly, "To the _Fenton Ghost Lab. _Over to your left, you will see the triangle door which serves as a controlled portal to the _Ghost Zone._ Which is totally safe, by the way, and in no way, shape or form did it lead to another half ghost. To your right, you will see Sam's pride and joy, the new and improved, Blood Blossom garden. There's also a _lot_ of other plants in there that have spiritual uses for wards and everything. Plus Sam's award-winning violets. And I know everyone still has questions about the Ghost Zone and its ghosts so I made a slideshow and I worked really hard on it and-"

"-Bullshit," Sam coughed.

Danny stopped and looked at her briefly as she gave him an innocent look. He made a huff before he continued,

"_Sam and I_ worked really hard on it so please sit and enjoy."

He gestured toward the seats, causing everyone to share uncertain looks.

"A slideshow," Monk finally spoke up, "You actually made a slideshow."

His eyes gleamed in amusement, causing Danny to give a small pout as he silently begged them to just go along with what he had planned. With only a bit of a mental complaining on Naru and Lin's part, the entire SPR group sat down in the chairs provided. Danny and Sam stood off to the side and it was only then did Mai notice the remote that Danny held in his hand. With a press of a button, a projector from the ceiling projected the first slide of the slideshow onto the wall that stated _Ghost 101 by Daniel &amp; Sam Fenton. _

"I'm only going to scrape the concept of the Ghost Zone," Danny explained as he switched to the next slide, "The first thing you need to know is that it is a dimension that is closely linked to ours. And by closely linked, I mean natural portals often pop up to allow ghosts to come through happen a lot and should anything happen to either dimension, the other will be effected greatly, if not destroyed completely, as a result."

The slide showed a blueprint of how the two dimensions were connected and while Mai didn't understand it, it was clear that at least Naru and Lin understood. The room grew oddly quiet as everyone listened to Danny as if he was a strict teacher.

"Interesting, in theory this is very possible," Naru mused, causing Danny to nod,

"Yeah, except it's not really a theory. I have a portal, dude. But on to my next point," he clicked to the next slide.

The next slide showed a picture of Sam standing in what they assumed to be the Ghost Zone, though she was much younger in the picture. She stood on a green floating rock with her hand through a purple wall.

"There is no physics. Nothing we consider to be real is real there. Absolutely nothing. It's practically endless, it physically cannot be measured and is like an endless dimension to hold the dead. Yet there are still locations called things like the _Carnivorous Canyon, The Far Frozen,_ and everything so it's still possibly to map certain locations.

This dimension has no time. You can go in there and be there for like two hours or two centuries, and come back at the exact moment you left. Or you can go to the eighteenth century. Or the future. I know from experience and long story short, don't fuck with the time line and history. Also, are the ghosts there. As seen in the picture, humans are the ones that can pass through objects. But don't do in there unless you are in something that is prepared for the Ghost Zone because you can end up floating aimlessly through it. But even then, don't do it unless you have Sam or me with you because well, humans in the Ghost Zone are against _the rules,_ which brings us to…"

He clicked to the next slide that showed the words, _Ghost 'Living' 101_. There was a crudely drawn picture of a laughing bed sheet ghost that was signed _DF_, which was their clue that Danny was the artist behind it.

"_Ghost Living 101_, man I'm hilarious," he chuckled before continuing, "Okay, there's a freaking lot I can tell you about ghost biology, but the first thing you need to know is… Don't think of them like ghosts, think of them as a separate species because I don't want you guys hurting your heads. Yeah, some, but not all, were alive at some point and are now dead. But they still continuing living, so to say. They have a law system in the Ghost Zone. They have homes, which are lairs and I'll get to that in a second. They have a jail. They have a Council. They have a _King._ They even have mates, which are like husbands or wives- speaking of that, there are female ghosts married to other females, males married to other males, and some ghosts don't even a gender or a mix or go back and forth, but they still marry. The thing with ghosts is that they are all soul, literally, so when they fall in love with another ghost, they are _in love_ _for eternity._"

"That's actually kind of sweet," John spoke up, with a small smile, "Ghosts are free to love who they love…"

"Yeah," Yasuhara mused, "It'd be interesting if the living could take a few tips from the dead."

Danny grinned at their comments before continuing, switching to a slide showing floating doors, boats, a few caves, and even one that looked like a strip club.

"These are ghost lairs. Not all of them come in the shape of a door. Some are boats. Some are caves. Some are locations like the _Far Frozen_ or palaces or kingdoms… In the case of one particular ghost I know named Lockjaw, even a strip club. The list goes on, but going into a lair uninvited can get a ghost really pissed off. Some are more peaceful than others and more friendly, but you really don't want to take that chance. It's actually against the rules unless the ghost specifically wants it to be open to others, which is the case of some ghosts I know like Styx, Lockjaw, Frostbite and Princess Dora, but this brings me to the rules of the Ghost Zone…"

Mai listened with rapt attention as Danny continued to explain everything about the Ghost Zone and when she glanced around she saw that the others were just as fascinated. Danny told them everything about the rules such as not going into a lair uninvited, no fighting on Christmas, and no killing humans- which was why Vesalius was in such trouble for killing. According to Danny, ghosts were all soul and they were stuck in a forever limbo that they wouldn't wish on anyone. It was almost poetic. He even explained things like obsessions, cores, and powers. A few times Mai almost dozed off, going as far as leaning her head on Naru's shoulder with a yawn. He glanced at her briefly with a hidden smile before he went back into a blank expression.

It wasn't until Danny finally began to speak about ghosts that he knew personally did Naru finally gently shake Mai to wake her up. Danny turned to a slide showing a blue-skinned figure with a ghostly tail in place of legs and a long cloak. His red eyes glared at the screen and it felt like he was looking right into their souls, causing Mai to shiver.

"Yeah, some didn't like me taking pictures of them, others were more than happy to. But I'll begin with friends and allies first. These guys are ones that will _totally_ show up at the wedding. This guy is Clockwork. He's one of the most ancient ghosts in the Ghost Zone and a very good friend of mine. He's actually the one who saved me from… Anyway, he sees time. He sees the past, present, future and the whole shebang. He rarely interacts with people because these jerks called the Observants have a bit of control of him. But he's a good friend… He even controls time. He can freeze it and everything."

Mai gasped slightly in awe at the fact that there was a ghost that could control time. The others shared minor skeptic looks but still listened as Danny continued. He told them of various different ghosts like Frostbite, who led a clan of yeti-like ghosts in the _Far Frozen, _Pandora, Princess Dora, and Ghostwriter. He talked about a ghost pirate named Captain Perrow, who was good for the most part though she tended to steal anything with value, and her ghostly crew aboard a ghost ship called the _Bloody Jewel; _he made it clear to Sam that Captain Perrow was _not_ showing up for the wedding. He spoke of ghosts that were his allies, but had voodoo-like abilities like Loa and Bayou.

"…And there are few ghosts in the gray-zone," Danny continued, switching to a new slide.

Danny took another deep breath before he continued on to more gray-area ghosts like the _Box Ghost, Lunch Lady, Ember _and _Youngblood _before he reached the evil section of ghosts. The SPR group sat entranced as they listened him recite tales of his fights with ghosts like _Fright Knight, Skulker, Technus, Desiree_ and _Undergrowth. _He even told them all each of the ghost's powers and what they did. The fact that he was able to do so much as _fascinating_.

Before they knew it, the presentation came to a close as Danny turned off the projector. With a big grin on his face, he stood in front of the group.

"With all of that said, I say this because the veil between our world and the Ghost Zone is thinning. More ghosts will be coming through which means… Are you guys ready to hunt some _real_ ghosts?"


End file.
